2023年的“后疫情”时代，实现经济高质量发展、创新解决“卡脖子”问题、加速寻找海外业务机会对于中国企业有了越来越重要的意义，在此过程中，知识产权的布局和保护扮演了至关重要的角色。今年的榜单继续聚焦于在中国知识产权领域取得优异成绩的法律人士。
过去一年，知识产权法律服务市场的热度持续上升，涌现出不少新趋势。一方面，知识产权申请质量不断提升；另一方面，知识产权相关诉讼标的额持续升高，且案件复杂度、创新性日益提升。此外，新型知识产权服务需求也不断涌现。正是在不断变化的市场环境中，今年上榜的15位知识产权律师展现出了深厚的专业实力、敏锐的商业嗅觉，以及超凡的创新能力。
市场发展趋势
优秀的知识产权律师与市场并肩成长，部分上榜律师和ALB分享了过去一年中国知识产权领域的发展情况，以及最新趋势。
高国征律师是金杜律师事务所国际合伙人，他说：“过去一年中国知识产权的保护力度持续加大，专利类、技术类案件的数量有较大增长，例如专利权权属及侵权纠纷、专利合同纠纷、侵害计算机软件著作权纠纷和技术秘密纠纷等。”
“在行业领域上，如药品、通信、半导体，互联网等高科技行业都有比较集中的需求。另外随着中国创新战略的发展，在人工智能、大数据、芯片领域也出现了一些新的服务需求。”
在案件新类型及新趋势上，高律师则观察到几点：“例如随着药品专利链接制度的建立，相关纠纷逐渐兴起；其次，中国对于技术秘密保护力度加大，判赔额逐年增高。”
万慧达律师事务所合伙人明星楠律师观察到，“随着中国商标确权和维权领域立法和政策的完善和调整，尤其是对恶意注册打击力度的增强，人们对商标的关注重点逐渐从数量转移到质量”。
在这样的背景下，“企业目前更关心存量商标如何盘活用好，如何建立和健全商标管理体系，维系商标权利稳定性。”。在行业上，互联网行业的商标需求一直比较可观，“但2023年以来，食品、服装、医疗、工业制造、奢饰品等行业的需求也比较旺盛”。
全新的服务需求
疫情结束后，国际市场不断探索联络机会，涉外类型法律服务需求增长明显，这在知识产权领域也不例外。
一方面，外资企业在华知识产权服务需求不断变化。高国征律师介绍道：“我们团队代表包括通信、生物医药、半导体、互联网、人工智能等行业的多家全球顶尖公司在华开展知识产权维权工作。我观察到外资企业近来更加重视并熟悉中国的知识产权保护体系，善于利用多种途径保护在华知识产权。如我们团队代理的一家德国企业面临了专利侵权，最后采取了通过国家知识产权局的重大专利侵权行政裁决程序，成功维护了自身权益。”
另一方面，高律师指出，“我们也代表了很多国内企业在国外的知识产权事务。随着中国创新战略的深入以及对知识产权重视程度的加大，中国企业对于知识产权保护的投入，和国际顶尖大公司的差距逐渐缩小”。
在商标领域，万慧达的明星楠律师则指出，在中国企业和品牌出海需求持续走高的大趋势下，商标的海外布局也愈发重要。“中国企业正处在从中国制造到中国品牌的转型过程中。除了传统的热点国家，‘一带一路’辐射范围的国家也成为了中国客户最为关注的市场。”明律师说。
此外，市场也出现了其他新类型需求，知识产权合规服务便是另一个热点。
汪妍瑜律师是锦天城律师事务所高级合伙人，过去几年，她集中为多家人工智能、互联网、医疗制药、通信领域企业提供全面的知识产权合规服务，并就企业知识产权战略提供咨询意见。
在汪律师看来，理想的知识产权合规服务包括两个要点：“首先在于夯实权利基础，为打击侵权做好准备；其次在于做好防范性措施，尽量规避侵犯他人权利。”汪律师坦言，知识产权合规服务真正的难度在于“一定要和企业发展的阶段相结合。合规必定会一定程度牺牲效率，两者之间需要去做平衡”。
持续自我升级
伴随知识产权服务热度上升，行业竞争的激烈度也不免增加。如何在这样的背景下保持自身优势？上榜律师指出了持续学习、深度理解行业，以及具备商业敏锐度的重要性。
万慧达的明星楠律师告诉ALB：“律师本身就是需要终生学习的职业。知产律师不仅要了解政策法规的变化，更要实时跟进客户相关行业领域的新变化、新趋势和新需求。做到既懂法律也懂行业，才能提供真正契合客户需求的服务。”
金杜的高国征律师也有类似感悟。“知产律师首先要沉下心来、不断打磨和夯实自身的基本功和专业技能。除了专业知识，对于案件中涉及的技术方案要深入学习和理解，例如我所领导的团队成员就大部分有法律和技术的双重背景。”
“其次是要密切关注市场的需求变化和新技术的发展，发掘新的业务机会，如生成式人工智能、大数据、生物医药、自动驾驶等领域，都有可能出现新的业务机会。”高律师说，“另外，面对复杂疑难案件，律师需要深入理解客户真正的需求，并创造性地制定诉讼策略，并最终要从商业的角度帮助客户解决问题。”
2023 ALB China Top 15 IP Lawyers
In the post-pandemic era of 2023, the configuration and safeguarding of intellectual property rights (IPR) assume a pivotal role in the increasing importance of attaining high-quality economic development and expediting the pursuit of overseas business opportunities for Chinese companies. This year's list continues to spotlight legal professionals who have distinguished themselves in China's IP sector.
Over the past year, the popularity of the IPR legal service market has continued to rise, with many new trends emerging. On the one hand, the quality of applications for IPR has continuously improved; on the other hand, the number of subject matters in IP-related lawsuits has continuously increased, and the complexity and innovation of cases have improved. In addition, new types of IP services are also emerging. It is in this ever-changing market environment that the 15 IP lawyers on this year's list have demonstrated strong expertise, keen business acumen, and exceptional innovative spirits.
Excellent IP lawyers are growing alongside the market, and some of them share with ALB the latest developments and trends in China's IP sector over the past year. Gordon Gao, an international partner of King & Wood Mallesons, says, "In the past year, China has continuously intensified the protection of IPR, and the number of patent and technical cases has increased greatly, such as patent ownership and infringement disputes, patent contract disputes, disputes over infringement of computer software copyright, and technical secrets."
“There is a greater concentration of demand in high-tech industries such as pharmaceuticals, communications, semiconductors, and the Internet. In addition, with the development of China's innovation strategy, some new service needs have emerged in the areas of artificial intelligence, big data, and chips," he adds. Gao has also noticed several new trends in the market: "For example, with the establishment of the drug patent linkage system, related disputes gradually rise; Secondly, China's technical secret protection efforts increased, and the amount of damages increased year by year."
As Ming Xingnan, a partner of Wanhuida Intellectual Property, observes, "With the improvement and adjustment of legislation and policies in the field of trademark right confirmation and right protection in China, especially the intensification of crackdown on malicious registration, the focus of trademarks has gradually shifted from quantity to quality."
In this context, "enterprises are more concerned about how to use existing trademarks, how to establish and improve the trademark management system to maintain the stability of trademark rights." The Internet industry's trademark demand has been considerable, "and since 2023, food, clothing, medical, industrial manufacturing, luxury jewelry industry demand is relatively strong."
Since the end of the pandemic, the demand for cross-border legal services has increased significantly, with the field of intellectual property being no exception. On the one hand, the demand for IP services by multinational companies in China is constantly changing. Gao tells ALB: "Our team represents many of the world's leading companies in communications, biotech, semiconductors, the Internet, artificial intelligence, and other industries in IPR protection in China. I have observed that foreign companies have recently become more aware of and familiar with China's IPR protection system and are adept at using multiple channels to protect IPR in China. For example, a German enterprise represented by our team faced patent infringement and finally adopted the administrative adjudication procedure of major patent infringement by the State Intellectual Property Office, successfully protecting its own rights and interests."
On the other hand, Gao points out, he also represents many domestic enterprises in cross-border IP matters. "With the deepening of China's innovation strategy and the increasing emphasis on IPR, the gap between China's investment in IPR protection and international top companies has narrowed.” In the trademark field, Ming points out that Chinese enterprises' and brands' cross-border demand continues to rise, and the overseas trademark layout becomes increasingly important. In addition to the developed markets like the US and Europe, Belt and Road countries have also become the market of greatest concern to Chinese clients," says Ming. Other new types of demand have also emerged, and intellectual property compliance service is another trendy topic.
Alicia Wang is a senior partner at AllBright Law Offices. Over the past few years, she has focused on providing comprehensive IP compliance services to several enterprises in the areas of artificial intelligence, the Internet, pharmaceuticals, and communications, and has also provided advice on their IP strategies. In Wang's view, the ideal IP compliance service includes two main points: "First, it is necessary to lay a solid foundation for the fight against infringement; secondly, it is necessary to take preventive measures to avoid infringing upon others' rights." Wang admits that the real difficulty of IP compliance services is that "compliance must be at the expense of efficiency, and a balance needs to be struck between the two.”
With the rise of IP services and the intensity of competition in the industry, how to maintain their market advantages? IP lawyers point to the importance of continuous learning, a deep understanding of the industry, and business acumen. Ming tells ALB that IP lawyers should not only understand the changes in policies and regulations but also keep abreast of new changes, trends, and needs in various industries. “Only when you understand both the law and the industry can you provide services that truly meet the clients’ needs," says Ming.
Gao has similar feelings. "First of all, IP lawyers should keep on polishing and consolidating their professional skills. Besides legal knowledge, they should deeply study and understand the technical aspects involved in cases. For instance, most members of our team have dual backgrounds in law and technology." “Secondly, it's crucial to closely monitor market demand changes and advancements in new technologies to identify new business opportunities. Areas like generative AI, big data, biotech, and autonomous driving are ripe for new ventures. Additionally, when dealing with complex and challenging cases, lawyers need to thoroughly understand the client's true needs, creatively formulate litigation strategies, and ultimately resolve problems from a business perspective,” says Gao.
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2023 ALB CHINA TOP 15 IP LAWYERS |
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Chen Mingtao陈明涛 Gao Guozheng (Gordon) 高国征 Jiang Liwei 蒋利玮 Li Jingchuan李静传 Luo Rui罗睿 Ma Qiang马强 Ming Xingnan明星楠 Sha Haitao 沙海涛 |
Wang Fei 王菲 Wang Yaxi王亚西 Wang Yanyu (Alicia) 汪妍瑜 Wang Zhaohui (Zoe) 王朝晖 Xia Feng (Jerry) 夏锋 Yang Yuzhou杨宇宙 Zhao Gang赵刚 |