Hogan Lovells

hoganlovells.com

Regional Managing Partner - Asia-Pacific

For more than 25 years, Andrew Cobden has been helping companies understand and deal with intellectual property issues. In that time, he has dealt with all types of matters involving a wide range of technology including artificial intelligence, mobile telephones, light-emitting diode lights, car spare parts, oil well valves, car navigation systems, many types of pharmaceuticals, and biological products. He enjoys the challenge of understanding how leading-edge, complex science and technology works. He often works with leading technical experts and has helped design experiments to produce evidence of patent infringement. His goal is to find practical and, if necessary, innovative solutions to legal problems so clients can focus on their businesses. Andrew studied in Australia and joined the firm in 1985, first working in London, then in Tokyo, and now in Hong Kong. Having lived and worked on three continents, he appreciates the legal, commercial, and cultural issues and differences that impact businesses operating globally, both in the East and the West. Andrew advises global technology companies on licensing their intellectual property (IP) into mainland China, through joint ventures and other licensing arrangements. He regularly helps multinational companies understand the patent enforcement landscape in China and other countries in Asia to achieve their commercial objectives. He has worked on all types of IP litigation, for plaintiffs and defendants, in both trials and appeals in England, France, Japan, Mainland China, and Hong Kong. Andrew is one of the few solicitor advocates with higher rights of audience before the Hong Kong Courts for civil proceedings. Andrew frequently represents clients in the superior courts in Hong Kong. He also has substantial experience in other forms of dispute resolution, including arbitrations and mediations. Apart from IP disputes, Andrew has acted for clients across a broad spectrum of matters from competition law (antitrust) to pharmaceutical regulations and clinical trials, international fraud and defamation cases (including obtaining a judgment from a jury worth several million dollars), and a multibillion-dollar transaction involving the sale of a mobile telephone network in Japan.

As part of our Litigation, Arbitration, and Employment practice, Antonia Croke focuses on complex, cross-border litigation for multinational companies and financial institutions. Antonia is highly experienced in advising on corporate and shareholder disputes, fraud, insolvency/restructuring and financial services litigation. Before joining Hogan Lovells, Antonia worked in the London office of an international law firm and as an associate in two leading Australian law firms in Sydney from 2004 to 2010. Antonia also spent time on secondment in the Litigation team at a major UK bank. In 2015 Antonia was featured in the Cambridge Judge Business School magazine, Flux as a “Leading Light” in the legal industry.

James Kwan is an International Arbitration partner in Hong Kong. He specialises in technology, private equity, energy, and life sciences disputes. He has a range of international experience, having represented clients in arbitrations in Asia, the U.S., Middle East, and Europe under the major institutional and ad hoc rules, such as ICC, HKIAC, SIAC, CIETAC, LCIA, AAA, DIAC, and UNCITRAL. James has also sat as arbitrator and rendered awards in HKIAC, ICC, and DIAC arbitrations, and in addition is on the CIETAC, LCIA, SHIAC and KCAB and AIAC panels. James is a solicitor advocate with Higher Rights of Audience before the Hong Kong courts.

Senior Associate

Jonathan Leitch

Maria is a partner in the Hong Kong office of Hogan Lovells. Maria’s practice focuses on dispute resolution, regulatory enforcement and investigations in Greater China. She is a former in-house counsel at the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong. Maria is a prominent litigator with more than two decades of experience focusing on complex commercial litigation and arbitration across a range of sectors. Maria often represents clients in investment and financial products related disputes. Maria has a notable track record representing clients and obtaining winning judgments and awards in a broad variety of high-profile cases in mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and other jurisdictions around the world including the United Kingdom, the United States, the Cayman Islands, the British Virgin Islands and Bermuda. Maria has a track record representing financial institutions, licensed persons and public companies in investigations, enforcement actions, and prosecutions initiated by Hong Kong regulatory and law enforcement bodies including the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong, the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited, and the Hong Kong Independent Commission Against Corruption. Maria also has experience handling cross-border investigations involving the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, the U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security, U.S. Department of Justice, China Securities Regulatory Commission, the Financial Services Agency of Japan, Monetary Authority of Singapore and Financial Supervisory Commission of Taiwan.

Damon So is initially qualified as a Chartered Civil and Structural engineer. Since becoming qualified as a lawyer with the Construction and Engineering practice, he has advised clients on the full remit of issues that clients may face in the construction sector. Advising on both contentious and non-contentious issues, he has particular experience in the areas of arbitration, litigation, and alternative dispute resolution. Damon has been with the firm for his entire legal career after he became a Chartered Engineer. He is a rare breed of lawyer who has done a large volume of both contentious and non-contentious work and understands the needs of both commercial and litigious clients. In terms of contentious work, Damon has handled a large amount of litigation and arbitration, acting for statutory bodies, employers, contractors, consultants, and insurers, in respect of building and civil projects and in commercial disputes. He acts as an arbitrator and is a HKMAAL Accredited Mediator. His non-contentious work includes advising on, preparing, and negotiating construction-related documentation (including consultancy agreements, main contracts and subcontracts, performance bonds, guarantees, warranties, and joint venture agreements) for projects in Hong Kong, Macau, Thailand, Vietnam, and the PRC. They involve the use of different standard forms of contract including the HKIA/HKIS forms, FIDIC, NEC3, Hong Kong Government forms, and standard forms of major statutory bodies in Hong Kong. Damon is a popular speaker and has been invited regularly over the years by various professional organisations and professional and engineering companies to speak on topics relating to construction, arbitration, and dispute resolution.