Firm Adds Catherine Sun To Lead Shanghai Office & Advise Clients On Intellectual Property Strategy, Asset Management & Litigation.
Foley announced today that it has filed an application with the Ministry of Justice of the People’s Republic of China requesting approval to open a representative office in Shanghai.
In addition, Catherine Sun has joined Foley as a partner from the Shanghai office of Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP where she led the firm’s intellectual property practice in China. She is licensed to practice in New York and will be assigned to the firm’s New York office during the license application process, but will be stationed in Shanghai.
If the application is approved, the firm will leverage its nationally recognized Intellectual Property Department to differentiate itself from other U.S. law firms that have recently opened representative offices in China by focusing on assisting companies with intellectual property (IP) counseling and dispute resolution.
The Shanghai office would serve the firm’s U.S., Asian and European clients in a number of industries including life sciences, manufacturing, automotive and high-technology. Sun will chair the firm’s Asia practice and lead the growth and development of the Shanghai office.
“China’s growing presence in the global marketplace coupled with its evolving legal system presents a unique business environment for our clients that are either currently doing business in Asia or are evaluating opportunities,” said Ralf Boer, the firm’s chairman and CEO. “Our strategy for our Shanghai office is consistent with the firm’s international market strategy that focuses on opening foreign offices in markets where the firm has a competitive advantage and can offer services not already available from other international law firms.”
Because of the current business and legal climate in China, Foley clients require assistance with intellectual property asset management, litigation and licensing. In addition, Foley will work with companies in the wireless industry on IP issues related to their technology platforms and the software underlying them, as well as the IP necessary to protect content and control counterfeiting and piracy. The firm also will counsel clients on corporate matters related to technology transfer, venture capital, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, wholly foreign-owned entities and tax.
« Des études récentes indiquent que 80 % de la capitalisation boursière des sociétés cotées en bourse est liée aux actifs de propriété intellectuelle », a déclaré Sharon R. Barner, présidente du département Propriété intellectuelle du cabinet. « En conséquence, les entreprises accordent davantage de valeur à leurs actifs de propriété intellectuelle, ce qui rend d'autant plus important pour elles de protéger et de faire respecter leurs droits en Chine. »
Sun has experience in IP strategy, counseling and litigation, IP issues related to cross-border M&A, international technology transfer, licensing and portfolio management. She earned a LL.M. degree from George Washington University Law School and spent seven years practicing law in the United States at one of the major national law firms in the Washington, D.C. area.
She then returned to Hong Kong and Shanghai to continue her IP practice. While in the United States, she was an in-house attorney for a high-technology company and served as a Student Law Clerk to the Hon. Randall R. Rader of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
Sun rejoint plusieurs avocats de Foley, dont trois ressortissants chinois, qui possèdent une expérience avérée dans la compréhension des questions commerciales chinoises, la collaboration avec des conseillers juridiques chinois internes et l'établissement de relations solides avec des cabinets d'avocats chinois locaux.
The attorneys include Stephen A. Bent, Hal Wegner, Zhu (Julie) Lee, Ken Duck, Tianjun (T.J.) Hou and Xueqing (Linda) Ji, who have years of experience in handling intellectual property and corporate matters for U.S., European and Japanese companies with interests in China. An office in Shanghai will give them a base of operations to assist current clients and work with Chinese companies seeking intellectual property protection and legal advice on corporate deals outside of China.
Foley plans to move into office space in Shanghai in 2007 subject to approval by the Ministry of Justice. The Shanghai office would be the firm’s second office in Asia following the Tokyo office, which opened in 2003.
Foley & Lardner LLP fournit une gamme complète de services juridiques aux entreprises. Nos avocats maîtrisent les questions commerciales les plus complexes d'aujourd'hui, notamment la gouvernance d'entreprise, l'application des lois sur les valeurs mobilières, les litiges, les fusions et acquisitions, le conseil et les litiges en matière de propriété intellectuelle, l'externalisation et les technologies de l'information, le droit du travail et de l'emploi, ainsi que la fiscalité. Le cabinet propose des solutions complètes dans les secteurs de l'automobile, des technologies émergentes, de l'énergie, du divertissement et des médias, des services financiers, de l'alimentation, des services liés au golf et aux centres de villégiature, des assurances, des soins de santé, des sciences de la vie, des nanotechnologies et du sport.