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Silver - Firms: prosecution
The plaudits have come thick and fast for AFD China Intellectual Property Law Office: one patron commends its service as “better than other Chinese firms I have worked with before”; while another praises its “excellent legal analysis, prompt communication and timeliness”. They particularly find the management system and price structure “more transparent than most firms in China”. 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 overseas patent owners. “Xia does a wonderful job in prosecuting patent applications for complex technologies. She is always timely and thorough.” While Zheng is the face of the firm, she has an impressive cohort behind her, consisting of more than 130 patent practitioners and over 50 supporting staff. Additionally, a client-support team based in the Washington DC area makes interactions with its foreign partners seamless. AFD also offers one-stop solutions through a sister law firm, BHTD Law, which is well placed to handle any contentious matters.
AFD China Intellectual Property Law Office is a privately owned leading IP law firm based in Beijing, China, with a client-supporting team in Gig Harbor, WA, 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. Policies and standards are strictly implemented for quality, efficiency and punctuality of their service to deliver satisfying results for their 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 have years of experience working as patent examiners in the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA). Its professionals work 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. Its practice is distinguished by creative mindsets and effective approaches.
Forward-thinking approach
AFD offers comprehensive, forward-thinking advice at each step of the prosecution or litigation process. The 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 to give their clients 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
The attorneys at AFD stay up to date with the latest changes in their respective areas of IP practice. They promptly communicate with clients regarding 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 relevant to the clients’ interests.
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. It is willing to go beyond what most patent and trademark attorneys will do to provide long-term IP-related services.
Quality control
AFD 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 a reputation for tackling 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 combines unmatched technical and litigation expertise to deliver efficient and effective results for its clients.
Jurisdiction