The WTR 1000 focuses exclusively on trademark practice and has firmly established itself as the definitive 'go-to' resource for those seeking world-class legal trademark expertise.
Bronze - Firms: prosecution and strategy
“Speed of delivery, brevity of advice and proactivity” are the qualities that truly set AFD China apart from its competitors. Its highly educated, well trained trademark group provides the full spectrum of trademark practice. Presiding over the outfit is founder Xia Zheng, who has more than 30 years’ experience tackling some of the trickiest trademark matters in the country. “She is very much a hands-on lawyer and easily contactable. Her service is highly commendable.” Working alongside her is Jingjing Wu, who is in charge of the trademark and litigation practice. Acting in a wide range of contentious IP matters, she serves as a contact point for many international clientele seeking brand protection advice in China.
AFD China Intellectual Property Law Office is a privately owned leading IP law firm based in Beijing, China, with a client-supporting team in Washington state in the United States.
Since its founding in 2002, AFD has provided premium services to clients around the world in all areas of IP law – including patents, trademarks, copyright and domain names – and other legal areas in China. AFD also works with an established network of leading IP firms in other regions of the world to assist Chinese companies in filing and prosecuting patent and trademark applications, and enforcing their IP rights abroad.
AFD provides a broad spectrum of services, covering:
- 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, among others to strengthen and protect clients’ IP rights in China.
In addition, AFD performs IP strategic analysis and crafts viable solutions to protect clients’ IP assets in China.
AFD has over 150 professional IP practitioners. They work closely as a team by leveraging diversified skills and talents to address complex and challenging IP issues in cost-effective ways. Some of them are former examiners at the IP office or law lecturers in colleges, while many have studied or worked abroad. They stay abreast of the latest changes in their respective areas of IP practice. In addition to the formal training they received at the beginning of their careers, AFD professionals are required to pursue professional improvement via online courses, internal seminars and training programmes provided by industrial organisations.
AFD has served over 5,000 clients of every size in a wide variety of industries – from individual inventors and major educational institutions to several of the world’s largest companies. Over the years, it has established and maintained many excellent working relationships with in-house counsel. AFD takes time to understand clients’ requirements precisely and act accordingly. It has demonstrated flexibility and skill in adapting to any kind of customised protocol and procedure, as required by clients.
Reflected by the Chinese name of the firm, AFD adheres to the fundamental value of faith – an operating Confucian principle which is the cornerstone of traditional Chinese culture. AFD treats clients with respect and integrity; cares about their wants; provides honest and reliable service; and strives to gain its clients’ ultimate trust, in the hope of becoming a resourceful partner and growing together with clients.
AFD is consistently recommended as a top-tier Chinese patent and trademark law firm by the IAM Patent 1000, Managing Intellectual Property, Asia IP and The Legal 500. The firm has also been recognised by the local IP office, IP attorneys’ association and other organisations. One of AFD’s patent litigation cases was promulgated as an exemplary IP rights protection case by the Beijing Higher Court.
The AFD trademark department is deliberately kept at its current size to remain nimble; it can thus act quickly and efficiently and provide personalised services to clients. AFD trademark professionals are skilful and highly experienced. Most of them have more than 10 years’ experience, and most graduated from reputable Chinese and overseas universities and academic institutions with degrees in law or other disciplines.
Its years of good practice in trademark matters have earned AFD a position as a council member firm of the China Trademark Association. AFD has also been recognised by the Union of Beijing Business Services as a trustworthy agency for outstanding trademark service in the Good List of Beijing Business Service Industry and selected by the Beijing Intellectual Property Office to enrol in the brand-fostering programme for IP service providers.
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