TAIPEI, , May 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- International law firm Vinson & Elkins LLP announced today the opening of an office in Taipei, to serve the growing demand of the firm's clientele in Taiwan and the Asia Pacific.
V&E partners David Tsai and Christopher Kao will oversee the office, which will serve as a platform for offering a wide range of litigation, transactional and strategic legal counseling support, with a particular emphasis on complex commercial litigation, intellectual property, renewable energy and corporate matters.
The Taipei office is located on the 52nd floor of the iconic Taipei 101 skyscraper, in the city's Xinyi District. The office is V&E's fourth in Asia and 16th worldwide.
"Our presence in Taipei enhances the firm's ability to meet the diverse set of legal challenges our clients face in the United States and throughout the Asia Pacific," said V&E Chairman Mark Kelly. "For nearly a decade, David and Chris have helped develop and cultivate a thriving practice in Taiwan that now includes more than three dozen leading high technology and biotechnology companies and some of Taiwan's strongest brands. We are confident that their leadership will enable V&E to meet the U.S. legal needs of all our Taiwanese clients."
Tsai, who together with Kao joined V&E from Perkins Coie in September 2015, handles a range of patent, trade secret, complex breach of contract, and product defect litigation. His legal experience includes international arbitration, copyright and trademark litigation, preparing and prosecuting U.S. electrical engineering patent applications, drafting patentability, freedom-to-operate and non-infringement opinions, as well as patent interferences in the area of biotechnology. He also represents clients in patent negotiations, licensing and overall intellectual property strategy.
Kao, an experienced trial lawyer, focuses his practice on intellectual property litigation, including patent, copyright, trademark and trade secrets disputes, as well as high-stakes complex commercial litigation. He has represented a diverse spectrum of U.S. and international clients in the computer hardware and software, semiconductor, telecommunications, energy, medical devices and consumer products industries. He also has particular experience representing clients in post-grant review proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trial Appeal Board (PTAB).
"As home to many of the world's leading computer, semiconductor, LED, pharmaceutical, petrochemical and renewable energy companies, Taiwan is among the top commercial hubs in the world and a hotspot for growth," Tsai said. "Opening an office in Taipei makes strategic sense, and I am thrilled about the full-service legal assistance V&E will be able to provide our Taiwanese clients."
In addition to servicing existing IP clientele, the Taipei office will complement the firm's branches in Beijing, Hong Kong and Tokyo and strengthens the firm's ability to assist clients around the world with issues related to antitrust, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, government and internal investigations, international arbitration, tax, finance, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, joint ventures, development projects and other transactions.
"V&E's move into Taipei will greatly benefit the firm's global IP and litigation practices while also generating synergies with our other offices and practice groups serving clients based in Asia," said Darryl Woo, co-head of V&E's Intellectual Property Practice Group.
With approximately 650 attorneys, V&E is among the preeminent law firms in Asia and provides integrated U.S. and local law advice, and offers a broad range of legal services in the Asia Pacific region through the firm's offices in Beijing, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Taipei. For more than 30 years, V&E's lawyers have represented the interests of a variety of clients in connection with their projects, transactions and other matters throughout the area. The firm's lawyers in Asia are part of V&E's worldwide network, collaborating closely with lawyers in V&E's other offices to serve firm clients whose headquarters are located outside Asia.
V&E also has an established record of success obtaining, protecting, exploiting, and enforcing clients' intellectual property rights, including patents, trademarks, trade dress, trade secrets, and copyrights. The firm's lawyers have successfully litigated patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret cases in state and federal district courts throughout the United States and have obtained highly favorable judgments for V&E's clients at the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) and in a variety of appellate courts, including the Federal Circuit.
Vinson & Elkins LLP is an international law firm with approximately 650 lawyers across 16 offices worldwide. For more information, please contact Jeremy Heallen at +1.713.758.2079 or Siew-Fong Leung at +852.3658.6425.
