Mayer Brown JSM today announced that Gabriela Kennedy has joined the firm and will lead the IP & TMT group in Asia. She will be based in Hong Kong.
Gabriela has over 19 years of experience advising clients on strategic and complex IP matters and transactions, broadcasting regulation and media transactions, information technology outsourcing, data protection and privacy, domain names and telecoms matters and is a renowned leader in both IP and TMT. She has undertaken lobbying work on behalf of a number of international industry associations in relation to IP legislation in Hong Kong notably in relation to changes to copyright laws that advance the protection of digital rights. She has been involved in leading IP and media litigation cases in Hong Kong. A tough litigator and innovator, Gabriela devised a strategy to effectively enforce court orders in Hong Kong against company name hijackers in 2007. This strategy was adopted by other legal practitioners until a later change in law.
Gabriela is a versatile lawyer whose practice combines contentious and transactional matters. Her deep knowledge and understanding of diverse industries and areas of law is an advantage in the fast moving and converged business world of the 21st century.
Ms Elaine Lo, Asia Chair and Senior Partner at Mayer Brown JSM commented on the appointment: “Our award-winning IP practice is committed to keeping our leading position. The depth of Gabriela’s knowledge of and experience in IP, media and technology will further bolster our already strong practice, we are very pleased to have her lead the team.”
“Gabriela is widely known throughout the industry for handling ground-breaking litigation—particularly concerning copyright and digital piracy matters— and will be a tremendous asset in servicing global clients in high-stakes IP matters,” said John Mancini, co-leader of the firm’s global Intellectual Property practice.
Gabriela’s many accolades include “Best in TMT” at Euromoney Asia Women in Business Law Awards for two consecutive years (2011, 2012) as well as a number of client awards. Described in Legal 500 Asia Pacific as “sharp and decisive”, “excellent” and a “highly respected practitioner” in both IP and TMT, Gabriela has been recognised as a leading lawyer in Asia since 2001 by Asialaw Leading Lawyers.
A prolific writer, Gabriela has authored more than 200 articles on issues concerning IP, information technology, ecommerce and telecommunications law, and is the Asia editor of Computer and Telecommunications Law Review and runs a regular column for Computer Law and Security Report. Her various leadership roles span many industries and areas from intellectual property, technology and media to the arts, education and the advancement of leadership for women.
Gabriela is:
• Board member of the International Institute of Communications (Hong Kong Chapter)
• Co-chair of the IP Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong
• Member of the Council of Governors of Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Association Asia
• Board member of ItechLaw (the premier association of technology lawyers)
• Board member of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology R&D Corporation Ltd
• Co-chair of the board of directors of the Hong Kong International Literary Festival
• Vice-president and board member of International Women’s Forum (Hong Kong chapter)
Prior to joining Mayer Brown JSM, Gabriela was a partner at Hogan Lovells (a position she had held since 2003). She was educated in England, Hong Kong and Scotland and is dually qualified in Hong Kong and in England & Wales. She holds an LLM (Information Technology and Telecoms Law) from the University of Strathclyde where she was retained on the teaching staff upon being awarded her degree with distinction. A former theoretical linguist, Gabriela speaks a number of European languages (French, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian and Spanish) to various degrees of fluency and has been known to use them in her professional life.
