Lawyer Monthly Magazine - September 2019 Edition

19 SEP 2019 | WWW.LAWYER-MONTHLY.COM Lawyer Moves recent appointments Linklaters’ Shanghai Free Trade Zone joint operation partner, Zhao Sheng Law Firm, announced the hire of Vivian Cao, who will join the firm’s growing Competition practice in their newly established Beijing branch, and corporate M&A practitioner Colette Pan who will be based in the firm’s Shanghai office, to supplement the firm’s offerings in Beijing and Shanghai. Eric Liu, Managing Partner of Zhao Sheng Law Firm said: “We are delighted to announce two new additions to the Zhao Sheng team. Vivian is a well-recognised competition lawyer in China with both Chinese and international exposure. Following the opening of our Beijing office in May this year, Vivian joining us further demonstrates our long-term commitment to the China market and our clients. Colette had spent more than 10 years with our joint operation partner, Linklaters, following her graduation. As a recognised practitioner in the financial institutions M&A space, she will further strengthen our capabilities in this area and help us continue to advise both our international and Chinese clients to seize the opportunities arising from the recent opening up of the financial sectors.” Vivian Cao, who is qualified in both PRC and New York State, has been a partner with Fangda Partners since 2017, joining from Freshfields. Prior to that, she worked at MWE China and IDG Asia. Colette Pan, who is also qualified in PRC and New York State, specialises in China-facing financial institution, Tech and Fintech M&A as well as financial regulations. Colette previously trained and practised at Linklaters in China for her entire career (more than 10 years) before leaving to join Fangda Partners where she has been a partner since 2018. The Linklaters China Corporate practice is a full-service corporate / M&A practice in China with execution capability across Linklaters’ offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong and a market-leading fully integrated relationship with Linklaters Zhao Sheng. The practice covers M&A and mainstream corporate work, IPOs and other equities work, financial markets work for international and PRC financial institutions, private equity and corporate clients. Linklaters Zhao Sheng is a joint operation between Linklaters LLP and Shanghai-based Zhao Sheng Law Firm. Linklaters Zhao Sheng brings together Linklaters’ long-standing international experience on the most significant deals and Zhao Sheng’s PRC-law capabilities, to deliver seamless client service. In May this year, Zhao Sheng Law Firm received official approval, from the Beijing Bureau of Justice, to establish a branch in Beijing. The opening of a second office marks the further development for Zhao Sheng, following the firm’s decision to form a Shanghai free trade zone joint operation with Linklaters in April 2018. Linklaters Zhao Sheng Competition and Corporate Practices Strengthened with Zhao Sheng Hire of Vivian Cao and Colette Pan The global law firm Jones Day announces that Nicole M. Smith has joined the Firm's Intellectual Property Practice as a partner in its Los Angeles Office. An accomplished trial lawyer, Ms Smith represents clients in patent litigation concerning their most important products and key innovations. While her trial practice has focused primarily on patent litigation, she also has experience litigating trademark, copyright, trade secret, and related IP matters. "We are delighted to add this terrific patent litigator to not only a key jurisdiction but also to our office in Los Angeles," said Anthony M. Insogna, who leads Jones Day's global Intellectual Property Practice. "Nicole has proven to be extremely adept at understanding clients’ technologies and innovations, and then turning that knowledge into compelling oral arguments in front of judges and juries." Ms Smith’s clients come from a wide range of industries and she has significant litigation experience in a broad array of technologies, including software, media and entertainment (video compression, video editing and DVD/Blu-ray technologies), consumer electronics, and medical devices. Her representations have included large corporations as well as individual inventors. "Nicole's addition to our excellent IP team in California will benefit Jones Day clients worldwide," said Chris Lovrien, Partner-in-Charge of Jones Day's California region. "She is an IP litigator of the highest calibre, who delivers excellent client service and has a proven track record of litigation success across technology and life sciences industries. We enthusiastically welcome her to the Firm." Ms Smith's litigation experience includes representations resulting in substantial awards for clients in the software and sensor device industries, the latter settling for $100 million. She has also successfully represented clients in the entertainment, communications, and medical device industries. She is a member of the California and Illinois state bar associations. Jones Day Adds Intellectual Property Partner Nicole Smith in Los Angeles