AUSTRALIA
Griffith Hack appointed a new director
Griffith Hack appointed Aaron LePoidevin as its new managing director. LePoidevin is responsible for leading the firm’s financial and operational performance. LePoidevin previously work for PwC.
Clayton Utz has a new partner
IP lawyer John Dieckmann joined Clayton Utz as a partner in January 2021.Dieckmann, who is based in Melbourne, specialises in IP and technology transactions.
New patent partners at James & Wells
Patent attorney Adam Luxton joined James & Wells’ Brisbane office as a partner. He deals with engineering and ICT-related patent work. Luxton joined from Spruson & Ferguson. In New Zealand, the firm promoted patent attorney David Macaskill to partner.
CHINA
Fairsky strengthened its IP practice
Former Unitalen lawyer Yongbo Li joined Fairsky Law Office as its president. Li specialises in IP and unfair competition litigation.
AnJie partner sets up own firm
Jing He left AnJie Law Firm to establish GEN Law Firm in September 2020. He leads a team that specialises in IP litigation and transactional matters in China.
HONG KONG SAR
Oldham Li & Nie Solicitors expanded its IP practice
Oldham Li & Nie Solicitors established a new IP consultancy called OLN IP Services. Trade mark lawyer Benjamin Choi and Vera Sung lead the company. Choi was previously with Deacons, where he spent a year as partner.
SIPS welcomed a new partner
SIPS recruited trade mark filing and prosecution specialist Chris Smith as a partner in its Hong Kong office. Smith deals with trade mark work in sectors including consumer goods and ICT.
Lewis Silkin launched its Asia IP practice
David Swain joined the firm’s Hong Kong office to launch and lead its IP practice in Asia. Swain was previously a senior associate at Deacons.
INDIA
Ex-K&S partner sets up her own firm
Priya Rao left K&S Partners to establish Priya Rao & Associates. Rao specialises in trade mark filing and prosecution work.
JAPAN
Greenberg Traurig hired a new head of IP
Greenberg Traurig welcomed patent litigator Robert Hollingshead as the head of its IP and technology practice in Tokyo. Hollingshead joined from Morrison & Foerster, where he was the head of the firm’s Japan patent practice.
Kasumigaseki recruited a new litigator
IP litigator Yoshihiro Takatori joined boutique firm Kasumigaseki International Law Office last year from Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe, where he was the head of its litigation practice in Tokyo.
NEW ZEALAND
Two trade mark attorneys joined Ironside McDonald
Solanda Chen and Ingrid Seegers joined thefirm’strade mark practice in Auckland. Chen serves as the China desk consultant while Seegers will focus on the Trans-Tasman region.
AJ Park lost an IP Star
IP litigator and former IP Star Kate McHaffie left AJ Park in November 2020. McHaffie was with the firm for more than 20 years. She was featured in the 2019 edition of Managing IP’s Top 250 Women in IP publication.
