Li Zhu

Experienced global brand protection and anti-counterfeiting counsel

Li Zhu protects companies from intellectual property (IP) theft and empowers IP owners by providing strategic counseling on the protection and enforcement of trademark, copyright, design, trade secret and IP-related issues in supply chain management, especially in China. Having been trained in China, Europe and the U.S., with 15 years of experience in and with China, she brings her clients first-hand experience in anti-counterfeiting, brand protection and IP portfolio management, in both the U.S. and China and across various industries.

Li used to lead cross-border enforcement actions, criminal investigations, factory and store raids, and dozens of civil and administrative IP litigation in China at one of the largest multinational law firms. She also worked as in-house counsel for a Western company in China and appreciates the challenges in-house legal teams face in balancing IP protection and business interests, especially in managing supply chain and business partner relationships. She provides insights into Eastern culture and business practice and is skilled at navigating complex legal issues involving stakeholders with different goals and interests.

Admitted in NY, WI and DC. Not admitted in Illinois.

• Develops and executes global anti-counterfeiting strategies and action plans, with a focus on China and Hong Kong.
• Conducts strategic reviews of trademark and copyright portfolios for enhancing brand protection worldwide. She has a proven method to identify and map out weaknesses in IP portfolio and develop a plan to troubleshoot.
• Manages complex IP squatting, infringement, trade secret and unfair competition matters in China. Li's first-hand enforcement experience is valuable for clients who are challenged on a daily basis by IP squatting and counterfeit issues, especially involving bad faith actors.
• Prosecutes and enforces IP rights related to trade dress in China. Li regularly advises clients on protecting trade dress in China from multiple aspects of IP rights, including trademark, copyright, design patent and anti-unfair competition law.
• Manages global trademark and copyright portfolios for companies with large brand portfolios.

• Led customs enforcement and criminal investigation cases involving internationally renowned brands, which resulted in prison time and monetary fines to infringers in China. One of the cases was named "Top 10 Border Protection Cases" of the year by China's General Administration of Customs and "Top 10 Intellectual Property Protection Cases" of the year by a provincial government.
• Secured rare re-trials for several trademark opposition and invalidation cases at the Supreme People's Court in China.
• Obtained the status of "Well-Known Mark" for several U.S. brands in trademark prosecution and enforcement cases in China.
• Managed online takedown programs that resulted in removing 10,000 listings of counterfeits and infringing products per year.
• Removed counterfeits and closed infringers' booths at several large trade shows in China.
• Represented an elite American sports equipment company to obtain a favorable settlement agreement in a global trademark conflict with a China-based multinational company, which helped to avoid a half-million loss in litigation costs.