Spring Chang

Spring Chang

Key Details

Spring Chang
Founding Partner, Attorney at Law, Trademark Agent
Chang Tsi & Partners
China

  • Domain Names
  • Electronics
  • Patents
  • Pharmaceutical
  • Trademark

Overview

Named the World's Leading Intellectual Property Lawyer by Chambers & Partners, founding partner Spring Chang is a razor-sharp IP attorney who has advised and represented hundreds of major electronics, consumer, pharmaceutical, apparel and jewelry companies in the Chinese market, as well as Chinese companies overseas. Chang is well known for representing Best Buy in a precedent-setting trademark case that prompted China's Supreme Court to re-evaluate the kinds of evidence to consider in IP decisions.

She has been regularly ranked as the only trademark lawyer in the Band 1 tier of Chambers and Partners' Chinese legal listings—the publication praises her "great judgment" and "wealth of experience in serving well-known multinationals". Chang has earned an international reputation for creativity and efficiency during more than two decades of practice  

One of the most influential IP attorneys in the world, Founding Partner Spring Chang has been representing hundreds of the world’s leading firms in a wide array of business sectors such as consumer products, apparels, electronics, pharmaceuticals and jewelries. Her razor-sharp judgments as well as extensive knowhows in trademark and design patent law provide clients tailored legal solutions in a rapidly changing Chinese market.

Recognized as a “Elite Practitioner” by Asia Law Leading Lawyers as well as one of the “Influential Women in IP” and “Best Women Lawyers in China” by WIPR and Thomson Reuters ALB, Spring is also a competent public speaker and lecturer who has been invited constantly by renowned legal associations worldwide such as INTA, AIPLA, AIPPI, PLI and ABA to share her knowledge and insights with global legal experts.

Practice Focus

  • Corporate Law
  • Intellectual Property
  • IP Commercial and Others
  • Dispute Resolution

Contact

Tel: +86 10 88369999

Visit the web site

Professional Highlights

Selected Awards

  • 2022 Gold-band Lawyer by World Trademark Review;
  • The A-List 2021: China's Top 100 Lawyers by China Business Law Journal;
  • "Band 1 Lawyers on Intellectual Property: Non-litigation(PRC-firms) – China" by Chambers and Partners;
  • 2021 Global Leaders by World Trademark Review;
  • 2021 WIPR Leaders by World IP Review;
  • 2021 Leading Female IP Practitioners by Managing IP;
  • “Elite Practitioner” by Asialaw Profiles in 2021;
  • “Global Leader” by WTR in 2020;
  • “Leading Lawyers” by Asia Law Profile in 2020;
  • “Top 15 IP Lawyer” by ALB in 2019;
  • “The A-List: China Elite 100 Lawyers by China Business Law Journal in 2019;
  • “Influential Women in IP” by WIPR in 2019;
  • "2018 ALB China Client of Choice" by Asian Legal Business in 2018;
  • "Golden Award in Prosecution and Strategy" and "Silver Award in Enforcement and Litigation" by World Trademark Review 1000;
  • "Global IP Star" by IP STARS of MIP;
  • "The Winner of Client Choice" in Intellectual Property - Trademark Field by Client Choice;
  • "Tier One Female Lawyer" in Asia Pacific area by Chambers and Partners in 2017;
  • "Best Women Lawyers in China" by Thomson Reuters ALB in 2017;
  • "Top 250 Women in IP" by Managing Intellectual Property

Participation in Wider Community

Representative Cases

  • Represented Tiffany & Co. since 2002 and filed large numbers of applications, oppositions, and declarations of invalidity. Recently, Chang helped Tiffany & Co. gain well-known status for its trademark, enabling Tiffany & Co. to strengthen and protect its brand from various infringers.
  • Successfully persuaded the court to accept the Under Armour case, in which CNY 100,000,000 (roughly USD 15,000,000) was claimed in damages.
  • In the past 5 years, Chang has filed 13 litigations on behalf of Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&Co), successfully helping Levi Strauss & Co. to gain well-known recognition for the "LEVI'S" word mark and the Two Horses Design by the Trademark Review and Appeal Board.
  • Represented Encyclopedia Britannica in a trademark infringement case against Xinlei Publishing House; she successfully terminated all infringing activities, and the court awarded her client CNY 253,111 (roughly USD 40,824) in damages; she prepared a C&D letter, resulting in 34,500 returned copies of the infringing books and thus minimized the loss caused by the infringement.
  • Successfully represented Graco, the leader in fluid handling systems and components industry, in an infringement case: Shanghai Sanqi was ordered to issue a public apology and pay CNY 4,000,000 (roughly USD 600,000) in damages.
  • Represented PetroChina in a patent infringement case, worked closely with the inventors to clarify the invention process step-by-step, successfully highlighted the differences between the technical solutions, and protected the reputation of PetroChina.
  • Effectively represented Dart Industries to stop third party infringement, wherein the court ordered the infringing party to stop all manufacturing activities, destroy all inventory, turn over all molds, and Dart received CNY 150,000 (roughly USD 22,000) in damages.
  • Successfully represented Johnson & Johnson in several high stakes litigation cases (including criminal proceedings) before the Supreme People's Court of China.

Professional Affiliations

Publications

  • How Rising Filing Rates are Challenging Protection -CHINA IP FOCUS 2014;
  • Protecting Your Brand Under the New Rules -China Law & Practice IP Focus 2014.
  • The First Domain Name Dispute Case in China, Running to Catch Up (Hong Kong) -IP ASIA;
  • Trademark Protection - Asia Law & Practice
  • Protecting Intellectual Property Rights at Exhibitions-IP Review 2006;
  • Protect Your Trademark From Genericide - Asian Legal Business;
  • Trademark Protection - Asia Law & Practice;

WIPR