Hogan Lovells’ Tokyo Office Managing Partner Dr Frederick Ch’en named as one of Asia’s Top 15 IP Lawyers 2021 by Asian Legal Business

This list highlights the achievements of the top 15 IP lawyers in Asia (having been selected from wide-ranging nominations of key practitioners across the region, including in Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Middle East, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam) who have consistently delivered high-quality IP work and set high standards in the field of IP, while earning accolades from their colleagues, senior management and clients. The research process involved ALB’s in-depth evaluation of candidates’ significant achievements throughout their careers, IP work in the last 18 months, key clients, and recommendations from their peers and clients.

Speaking on the award, Ch’en said “I am delighted to be recognised as one of Asia’s Top 15 Intellectual Property Lawyers by Asian Legal Business, which I believe is a significant endorsement and reflection of the extensive work and dedication of many team members, bengoshi and international collaborators, and excellent support staff. I am most grateful to our clients for their longstanding trust, encouragement and deepening relationships over the years. I look forward to continuing to work with our clients in Japan, Asia-Pacific, the U.S., Europe and beyond, especially in respect of post-pandemic opportunities, risks and risk management.”

Ch'en was appointed as the new Office Managing Partner for the firm's Tokyo office effective December 2020, in addition to his role as APAC lead for Life Sciences and APAC co-lead for Technology & Telecoms. While supporting clients on their high-stake cross-border, multi-jurisdictional matters, he is also committed to delivering client-focused training and education, especially from practical and comparative law perspectives – one example of which is his designing the firm’s “Select IP” monthly webinar series that he is implementing with his global IP colleagues, and which has been well-attended by numerous participants from Japanese companies. As a result of such on-going efforts and longstanding client interactions, Ch’en is regularly recognised as a leading practitioner by various industry publications. In addition to being named as one of Asia’s Top 15 IP Lawyers, some of his recent accolades also include the following.

• Selected sole winner of the Lexology 2021 Client Choice Award for IP – Patents in Japan (this was the third time Ch’en has won this award in five years, having also been recognised in 2017 and 2018)
• Selected as a Best Lawyer in Intellectual Property Law and in Life Sciences Practice, Best Lawyers 2021 edition
• Recognised as Foreign Lawyer of the Year, Asian Legal Business Japan Law Awards 2020
• Recognised as one of the leading IP practitioners in the world, WIPR Leaders 2021 edition
• Selected as an IP Star for Japan, Managing Intellectual Property 2021/22 edition
• Recognised as a leading (Band 1) practitioner both in Intellectual Property and in Life Sciences by Chambers Asia-Pacific 2022 edition

Background on Dr Frederick Ch'en

Dr Frederick Ch'en joined the Hogan Lovells' Tokyo office in 2013 and advises clients on a broad range of contentious and non-contentious IP matters, especially in the Life Sciences & Healthcare and Technology & Telecoms areas.

Frederick's particular focus is multi-jurisdictional patent litigation, which allows him to assist more pragmatically on IP licensing as well as IP aspects of transactions. More recently, he has also been involved in cross-border Life Sciences regulatory matters, as well as significant dispute resolution (litigation and international arbitration) matters. Frederick is a solicitor (England & Wales), U.S. attorney-at-law (California), U.S. patent attorney, registered foreign lawyer in Japan, member of the UK Royal Society of Biology and a UK chartered biologist. He was formerly a research scientist, having been awarded the top First Class Honours degree in Molecular & Cellular Biochemistry as an undergraduate and a doctorate in Medical Sciences, both from the University of Oxford, and is a member of AIPPI Japan, the Licensing Executive Society in Japan, and Pharma Delegates.