The Patent 1000 focuses exclusively on patent practice and has firmly established itself as the definitive 'go-to' resource for those seeking world-class legal patent expertise.
Silver - Firms: prosecution
Home to a legion of multi-talented patent attorneys and lawyers, AFD China Intellectual Property Law Office’s technically superb team, along with its sister law outfit BHTD Law, now undertakes everything from original drafting to trade secret and other IP-related litigations. Transparency and efficiency are both hallmarks of their services – which earn them a slew of loyal overseas clientele including Schneider Electric and Facebook. The mastermind behind this is founder Xia Zheng, who first set foot in China’s IP scene in 1987 and has subsequently enjoyed the confidence of many domestic and global patent owners.
AFD China Intellectual Property Law Office is a privately owned leading IP law firm based in Beijing, China, with an international client-supporting team in Seattle, Washington State, United States. Since its founding in 2002, AFD has always focused on providing a high level of integrity and is committed to the principle of a client-oriented approach to providing reliable services that encompass all areas of IP law – including patents, trademarks, copyright and domain names, and other IP-related areas in China.
Together with its established global network of leading IP firms, AFD also provides a comprehensive range of legal services and solutions – including IP strategy, patent mining, patent drafting, IP filing and prosecution, freedom-to-operate analysis, validity or invalidity analysis, investigations, IP due diligence, dispute resolution and IP litigation – for both domestic and international clients.
AFD has been actively involved in domestic and foreign-related matters, and instituted a robust and effective governance framework that ensures transparency in organisational functioning, delegation of authorisation and quality assurance. AFD’s policies and standards are strictly implemented for quality and efficiency in order to deliver satisfying results to clients.
The firm comprises 260 employees, two-thirds of whom are patent and trademark professionals and attorneys at law. Many of the firm’s attorneys graduated from prominent institutions abroad with advanced degrees in various technical fields and are qualified to handle all types of cases with their extensive industry practice. Some of them have years of experience working as patent examiners in the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA). AFD’s professionals work together seamlessly by leveraging diversified skills and talents to address complex and challenging IP issues in cost-effective ways.
Strengths
AFD is committed to delivering premium IP services with a high level of professionalism and care.
Forward-thinking approach
AFD offers comprehensive, forward-thinking advice at each step of the prosecution or litigation process. Its dedicated professionals provide recommendations on tailoring a new patent application in accordance with Chinese patent law, pre-empt patentability objections and deliver comprehensive analyses upon receiving examination opinions from the CNIPA and providing clients with insights into the local business environment. AFD utilises every possible opportunity during the prosecution process to advance clients’ cases while meeting up with clients’ demands within budget.
Up-to-date knowledge
Attorneys at AFD stay up to date with the latest changes in their respective areas of IP practice. They promptly communicate with clients regarding the changes to governmental, statutory and regulatory laws and regulations, examination guidelines and specific handlings. The firm takes an approach that is actively responsive to contemporary demands and informs clients of important new developments through newsletters and alerts, and regularly organises seminars and workshops on the latest developments.
Value-added services
AFD offers value-added services such as foreign patent and trademark application support, licensing and exploration, counselling services, right-to-use and validity opinions, due diligence and docketing and monitoring. Its attorneys are willing to go beyond what most patent and trademark attorneys will do to provide long term IP-related services.
Quality control
The firm has maintained a mandatory quality control policy that applies to all filings, opinion letters and litigation filings. A two-step inspection is adopted at every key point to ensure consistency, accuracy, reliability and compliance. Its quality control also includes a complete set of control procedures, such as problem finding, training, watching, auditing, retraining, rewatching and re-auditing.
Complex matters
AFD has built a good track record in handling difficult cases and defending clients in complex situations. Its practices are not limited to verbatim interpretations of the law or conventional operations but are rooted in getting to the crux of the problem and creating out-of-the-box, innovative solutions. The firm leverages its unmatched technical and litigation expertise to deliver efficient and effective results for its clients.
Jurisdiction