Lewis Silkin expands market leading IP practice to Hong Kong through partner hire

Lewis Silkin today announces the appointment of David Swain as partner and Head of Intellectual Property in the firm’s Hong Kong office, where he will spearhead the Asia launch of the firm’s marketing-leading Intellectual Property practice.

David will oversee a significant expansion of the firm’s offering in Hong Kong, which until now has been focused on employment and immigration services, by inaugurating Lewis Silkin’s IP practice group in the Asia-Pacific market. He will sit on Lewis Silkin’s China Desk alongside colleagues in the UK, Ireland and Hong Kong, and also work closely with employment partners Kathryn Weaver (Head of the Hong Kong office) and Catherine Leung to further enhance the firm’s stature across the Asia-Pacific region.

David will advise clients on a range of non-contentious IP issues across all IP assets, from patents and trademarks to design rights and copyright. He has a wealth of experience in advising clients in relation to commercial IP matters, including complex licensing, assignment and distribution agreements, and the IP issues that arise from corporate transactions, particularly in the media and entertainment, tech and life sciences sectors. He also has notable experience in data and privacy law and co-chairs the Membership Committee at the Licensing Executives Society International.

He joins Lewis Silkin from the law firm Deacons, and his hire makes him the third partner in Lewis Silkin’s Hong Kong office, alongside Kathryn Weaver and Catherine Leung. His addition is also part of a trio of partner hires marking a significant expansion to the firm’s IP and Corporate practices globally. Fellow IP lawyer Antony Craggs joins the London office as an IP litigation partner, while Geraint Tilsley joins as partner to expand the firm’s Corporate practice in Cardiff.

Kathryn Weaver, Partner and Head of the Hong Kong office at Lewis Silkin, said:

“David’s hire further underlines Lewis Silkin’s ambitions in Hong Kong and the wider Asia-Pacific region, signalling the firm’s intent for further growth in the years to come. We’ve established a strong reputation for our employment and immigration services here, and the time is right to accelerate our growth and expand our offering for clients. Hong Kong, and the Asian market more broadly, is an increasingly key driver of the ideas and innovations that shape our world, and David’s appointment will allow us to meet this growing client demand for IP services. We look forward to working with him to unlock new opportunities for us, and new possibilities for our clients.”

David Swain, Partner at Lewis Silkin, commented:

“It’s an exciting time to join Lewis Silkin, given the firm’s ever-increasing profile in Hong Kong and sustained growth worldwide – not to mention the outstanding reputation of the integrated ‘IP360’ offering. As we step into 2021, I look forward to helping our clients in Hong Kong best navigate the changing world of IP.”

David’s hire further bolsters Lewis Silkin’s best-in-class IP team, which includes consultants, patent and trade mark attorneys, as well as commercial and contentious IP lawyers covering the full-spectrum of IP rights. His appointment follows on from the hire of IP tech expert Alex Rushent as Tech Consultant in October 2020, as well as the acquisitions of patent and trade mark attorney firm Ablett & Stebbing in 2019, a market first by a law firm, and of AdSlogans, a unique slogan search and resource provider in 2018.