Shaobin Zhu to lead Morgan Lewis & Bockius’ new office in Shenzhen

Shaobin Zhu to lead Morgan Lewis & Bockius’ new office in Shenzhen

One of the top 10 US law firms currently has almost 90 lawyers in China

Morgan Lewis & Bockius is set to expand in China with the launch of an office in the booming southern city of Shenzhen.

The new office will be led by the China IP team’s Shaobin Zhu. It will connect tech and life sciences companies in the region to the firm’s global network of offices, including existing bases in Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong.

Zhu will be based full-time in Shenzhen and will initially be joined by an associate. The firm is looking to expand the office based on client needs.

Morgan Lewis currently has 90 lawyers in China, including an IP team that along with Zhu houses Shanghai-based partner Todd Liao and seven associates.

The firm said the new office would expand its IP reach in China, with the team litigating the full range of IP cases, including patent and trade secrets disputes, as well as drafting and negotiating licence agreements and commercial contracts and leading transactions and due diligence.

Morgan Lewis chair Jami McKeon remarked, “Shenzhen is a major hub of China’s technology industry with the highest density of start-ups of all the mainland cities in China. It is a staging ground for large high-tech companies from all over the world.”

McKeon added, “Our lawyers are already working with dozens of clients operating in and connected to this market. This demonstrates our commitment to serving our clients in the technology and life sciences sectors, including biotechnology. Our team on the ground will collaborate closely across our offices in Asia and with our global technology and life sciences industry teams to bring cross-practice, cross-jurisdictional capabilities for inbound and outbound matters to the forefront for our clients.”

US-qualified Zhu joined the firm in Shanghai in 2017 from San Francisco boutique firm Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner to serve Chinese clients with an interest in the US as well as non-Chinese clients seeking to acquire and protect IP rights in China.