Hongkai Zhang
Key details
- Job title: IP director
- Organisation:NBCUniversal Media
- Geography: Singapore
- Type: Contentious, Non-Contentious
- Level:Senior-level
Profile
Singapore-based Hongkai Zhang is director of intellectual property at NBCUniversal Media. He is an experienced IP attorney who has practised in an international law firm and worked in the media and entertainment, consumer products, and food and beverage industries. He has a background in brand protection, IP licensing, and corporate law.Zhang moved to Singapore from Shanghai where he was senior legal counsel brands & content—IP for NBCUniversal Media. Zhang began his career as a lawyer in Shanghai at US manufacturer Kohler. He then spent five years at Diageo where he became senior brand assurance manager for Greater China. He moved to Universal Pictures as a brand development legal consultant in 2016. He has been a vice chair of the Best Practice & Enforcement Committee of the Quality Brands Protection Committee at China Association of Enterprises with Foreign Investment since 2018.
Comments
“Hongkai Zhang is one of the most outstanding directors of IP legal affairs. He is an exceptionally skilled IP lawyer with deep practical experience and outstanding control over case strategy and execution. In every matter I have worked on with Zhang I have consistently seen his ability to accurately determine which enforcement and protection strategies are best suited to the company’s specific interests and circumstances.
“Zhang selects the lawyer and team best suited to that particular matter. He also fosters healthy competition among different external providers enabling them to deliver stronger case outcomes and create greater value for Universal.
“Under Zhang’s leadership, Universal’s China IP enforcement team has achieved numerous landmark cases in the industry. In 2021 the team secured a RMB 5.1 million (approx US $740,000) damages award in a Minions case—the highest damages award in China for a pure fine art copyright case—which was fully enforced and in which an interim injunction was also successfully obtained.
“In 2025 Zhang successfully pursued criminal liability against infringers for the offence of counterfeiting the ‘first criminal case in Beijing involving a service trademark’.”
“Zhang demonstrates outstanding professionalism as in-house counsel with a truly global strategic outlook. He consistently grounds his legal guidance in commercial realities and industry dynamics, offering clear and forward-thinking direction on complex cross-border copyright content licensing and brand protection matters.
“Zhang is well-versed in IP regimes across the US, Europe and Asia. He exhibits a keen ability to anticipate the impact of international legal and regulatory shifts on business operations, reflecting both sharp professional acumen and risk foresight. He fosters efficient, transparent communication practices, emphasises structured feedback and project review, and cultivates relationships built on trust with external partners.”