Areas of practice
Mr. He Fang specializes in intellectual property litigation. He is a senior IP litigator and co-leads the IP litigation group in the KWM Shanghai Office.
Mr. He Fang has a solid theoretical foundation and rich practical experience in the field of intellectual property. He has substantial China litigation and enforcement experience, as well as significant advocacy experience in the PRC Courts. His achievements include working on a series of landmark IP cases, such as the first declaration for non-infringement of trade marks in China ('The Peter Rabbit' case), and the first preliminary injunction award for design patent in Zhejiang Province ('The Hansgrohe' case). He is particularly strong in the areas of trade mark, trade dress and copyright, having successfully advocated for a number of clients in several high profile and award winning cases (including a series of the Top IP Cases in China as judged by the Supreme People's Court). Among which, Mr. He Fang acted for Shanghai M&G Stationery Inc. in winning an industrial design infringement dispute. The judgment is a significant reference for determining the similarity of industrial designs of daily items. It was named by the Supreme People's Court to the lists of "2016 Top 10 IP Cases in Chinese Court System", and "20 Typical Cases of 2016" tried by the Shanghai IP Court.His successful advocate in the first declaration for non-infringement dispute heard by the Supreme Court also set a benchmark for the industry.
Mr. He Fang is well-known in the IP Litigation circle in China, and is regularly invited to participate in various industry events, including in the MIP Annual Forum 2008 and 2011 in Hong Kong, the 7th Global Congress on Combating Counterfeiting & Privacy 2013 (invited by WIPO) in Istanbul, Turkey, and INTA Leadership Meeting 2014 in Phoenix, USA.
Mr. He Fang is among the first Shanghai lawyers listed as "China Leading International Legal Professionals" by the All China Lawyers Association since 2013.
Mr. He Fang is widely recognized by the industry and clients for his expertise in intellectual property. Mr. He was included in "China's Top100 Lawyers" by China Business Law Journal in 2017, "Leading Lawyers" by Asialaw Profiles 2019-2021 and "Leading Lawyers" by WTR 1000. He was also selected by the Supreme People's Procuratorate as a state's expert in the field of intellectual property for civil and administrative cases and named to the "IAM Strategy 300: The World's Leading IP Strategists" by the Intellectual Asset Management in 2020.
Work experience
Mr. He Fang joined King & Wood Mallesons in 2015. Prior to that, he worked at Rouse & Co International LLP (in association with Lusheng Lawyers), including as the Managing Partner of Beijing Lusheng Lawyers (Shanghai). Mr. He Fang used to work at Clifford Chance's Hong Kong and Shanghai offices. He also took the position as an IP litigator in Shanghai Patent & Trademark Law Office for several years.
Mr. He Fang is a member of Information Network and High-Tech Committee, All China Lawyers Association. He is also an Accredited Mediator of CEDR.
Mr. He Fang obtained his Bachelor's degree in Law from University of Shanghai and his LL.M degree from the London School of Economics & Political Science, University of London. He also actively participates in academic activities by acting as a guest supervisor for post graduate law students in East China University of Political Science and Law since 2014. In 2018, Mr. He has been invited as a guest supervisor for post graduate law students in Koguan School of Law, Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Mr. He was admitted as a Chinese lawyer in 1999 and registered foreign lawyer in Hong Kong in 2005.
Mr. He's working languages are English, Mandarin and Shanghainese.
