Bird & Bird

Firm overview:

A top player in the sphere for international firms in China, Bird & Bird has been operating in the country for nearly 30 years, with offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong. Employing over 100 legal professionals in the wider China region, the firm offers an integrative and collaborative approach to assisting clients across several industries, including but not limited to retail, healthcare, media and technology and communications. Bird & Bird provides a full service set to clients, with its team’s experience and capabilities covering copyrights, patents, trademarks, product design and transactional IP.

Bird & Bird’s China patent practice offers comprehensive capabilities, including patent litigation and dispute resolution, strategic portfolio management, prosecution and filing support, licensing and monetisation, regulatory compliance guidance, and cross-border IP strategy to protect and maximise the value of clients’ innovations. The firm is highly regarded in the IP legal space for its technical expertise and handling of complex cases, earning it multiple industry accolades.

Past highlights for the team include representing VMI Holland in three patent ownership disputes that resulted in landmark judgments made by the Supreme People’s Court of China.

Team overview:

In this year’s Hall of Fame for those with outstanding careers in the field, Matthew Laight heads the IP practice in Asia-Pacific for Bird & Bird. Since joining the firm in 1999, Laight has represented world-leading companies in life sciences and electronics, and managed complex, multi-jurisdictional disputes. He has significant expertise in standards issues within the technology and comms sector.

Bird & Bird’s IP department in China is co-led by Christine Yiu who holds over 15 years of experience. She is widely recognised for her ability to manage complex, high-value patent litigation and coordinate multi-jurisdictional patent cases, particularly in sectors such as technology, healthcare, and industrial machinery. Yiu works out of Bird & Bird’s Shanghai office and has received broad recognition and multiple accolades for her excellence in IP and patent law.

In Beijing, Rieko Michishita complements this expertise by overseeing IP portfolio management and cross-border coordination. She is renowned for her leadership skills and handling of complex portfolios, particularly for Japanese and multinational clients operating in China. Michishita works on both contentious and non-contentious patent matters, and is known for delivering practical solutions with a hands-on approach.