2016 Intellectual Property Practitioner of the Year - Hong Kong
1607CG57
2016 Intellectual
Property Practitioner
of the Year - Hong Kong
Established in 1970, Fairbairn Catley Low & Kong is one of Hong Kong’s
major law firms advising on all aspects of law. We got in touch with Grace
Chu to find out more about the company itself and to hear her thoughts on
winning this prestigious award.
Company:
Fairbairn Catley Low & Kong
Name: Grace Chu
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.fclklaw.com.hk
Address: 23/ F Shui On Centre,
6-8 Harbour Road, Hong Kong
Phone: +852 2532 5490
The firm advises on all major aspects of the law
in Hong Kong while expanding and developing its
practice in Mainland China. We remain international
in our outlook, with access to resources from the
global network of the Multilaw with which it is
affiliated.
Having said that, Fairbairn Catley Low & Kong does
require its international partners and agents to employ
advanced technology to watch and monitor their
respective jurisdictions to ensure its clients’ IP rights
have not been violated, as well as providing a real-time
reporting system so that timely actions are taken.
Upon strong local foundations and an established
global network, Fairbairn Catley Low & Kong has
built a wealth of experience in Hong Kong, Mainland
China and international matters. The firm’s practical
yet creative and professional approach is valued by
its clients in Hong Kong and around the world. We
place a strong emphasis on the value of personal
contacts and individual attention.
Hong Kong provides a legal bridge between China
and Western countries, where continental law and
common law find their compromises. Our forty-six
years of experience has seen us advising overseas
and local clients on their exposure in China and
across the world. The latter is achieved by a close
network of legal partners, agents, and government
departments. Understanding the legal dynamics in
China and the country’s growing emphasis on IP
rights and values is Fairbairn Catley Low & Kong’s
edge in effectively serving our clients.
Typically, Fairbairn Catley Low & Kong advises on
intellectual property, litigation, dispute resolution,
corporate, commercial, property and conveyancing
and private client matters.
Fairbairn Catley Low & Kong was one of the first legal
firms in Hong Kong that practised and advised on IP
law. Our expertise and successful cases resonate in
the industry, and our success continues to set new
benchmarks that we uphold to retain our clients’ trust
and loyalty.
When China opened up its legal channels, Fairbairn
Catley Low & Kong was one of the first to provide
legal services to clients with international IP
exposures. As China’s economic strategies focus
more on innovation and technology, our firm is
confident that it is very well situated as a legal
conduit between China and its partners in the west.
Fairbairn Catley Low & Kong’s highly professional
staff are ethical, competent, energetic and
scrupulous and they are very much the firm’s core
asset led by seasoned partners, that can work
together seamlessly as a team yet individually as
outstanding lawyers.
Fairbairn Catley Low & Kong’s primary task is not
on innovation, but applying traditional diligence to
safeguard its clients’ trademark interests and protect
their rights in the globalised ecosystem. The job is
unavoidably challenging and laborious as the trade
mark portfolio of some of our clients covers nearly
170 countries whose IP laws and interpretations are
heterogeneously complex.
32 Acquisition International - July 2016
Technological advancement for the past two decades
has surprised even the toughest sceptics. Sovereign
borders are obscured by cyberspace, thus firms with
solid international support like Fairbairn Catley Low &
Kong, will be even more relevant in IP and trademark
disputes. We keep a close eye on the technology and
design players and prepare the firm for the next wave of
innovation that would introduce legal challenges ahead.
In our experience, many firms underestimate the
importance of IP protection and a brand strategy, but
in the end they pay dearly for it. In our internet savvy
world, someone in Hong Kong can purchase a box of
fruit tea from England, while someone in Bangladesh
can hijack the supplier’s brand name. Greater global
coverage and market shares beget greater IP risks.
In our opinion, any company, regardless of its size,
should employ an IP strategy to prevent future growth
barriers.
As we speak, Fairbairn Catley Low & Kong is already
monitoring the impact of the European Union’s latest
membership change and how it would affect our
clients’ interests politically and economically. We are
also on deck to advise our clients on China’s ‘One
Belt One Road Initiative’.
It is an honour to have received such a prestigious
award from Acquisition International. Our hard
working colleagues will be pleased that their efforts
are not rewarded only by salary, but also by the
market recognition of their achievements.