Hogan Lovells has strengthened its Greater China intellectual property (IP) practice with the lateral hire of William “Skip” Fisher in Shanghai. Skip, an experienced U.S. IP lawyer and China IP strategist, joins Hogan Lovells on 29 November 2011 based in the firm’s Shanghai office.
His move follows on from the recent hire of outbound China IP partner Song Zhu based in San Francisco. The addition of the two partners is part of the firm’s strategy to bolster its market leading Sino-Pacific intellectual property capabilities.
Skip was formerly in Perkins Coie’s Seattle office, where he focused on counselling and litigation in the areas of patents, trademarks, trade secrets, and copyrights. Prior to that Skip had spent over 10 years as an intellectual property lawyer including two years with Lovells’ Shanghai office.
A fluent Mandarin speaker, Skip has extensive experience providing clients with strategic advice on managing intellectual property assets in China, including acquiring, protecting, and enforcing patent and other intellectual property rights in the country.
Skip focuses on the technology, media and telecommunications (TMT) sector. In recent years, he has litigated cases involving cutting-edge technologies related to e-commerce systems, electronic financial transaction systems, network traffic management, secure data networks, and electronic media and digital rights management.
Commenting on Skip’s arrival,David Harris, co-CEO of Hogan Lovells said:
“Skip’s hire is a key part of our strategy to evolve what is regarded as the leading IP practice in China. Skip is a stand-out in the China IP context with that very rare blend of local and U.S. experience which is increasingly demanded by the market. His hire in Shanghai along with the arrival of Song Zhu in San Francisco is a formidable addition to our top-tier IP practice in Greater China.”
Skip added:
“Hogan Lovells has a leading IP practice globally, particularly in China where they have an enviable pedigree. It is great to be back with the firm and I look forward to supporting our clients in Europe and the United States with their business in China.”
Andreas von Falck, head of Hogan Lovells’ global IP practice, said:
“This most recent hire forms part of Hogan Lovells’ vision to be and remain the world’s leading IP Group with first class practitioners in the world’s most important commercial centres. The addition of Song in San Francisco and Skip in Shanghai comes in the same year as the addition of a team of five patent litigation partners in San Francisco. Reinforcing our IPMT capabilities in the US and Asia further will remain a major driver of the firm’s growth in the foreseeable future.”
Hogan Lovells is recognized as having the leading intellectual property practice in Asia with over 70 intellectual property practitioners across Beijing, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo. Hogan Lovells was recently voted International Patent Firm of the Year 2011 in a poll of in-house counsel organised by Asia IP magazine. The award honours an international firm for its patent expertise in Asia.
