About

‘Honeywell is a unique platform because its businesses encompass several different industries,’ says the company’s ‘diligent, detail-oriented and organised’ China IP head Jerry Xia. ‘I particularly enjoy such cross-industry exposure at one company as well as the vast variety of the technologies and brands and the associated IP issues I deal with’. A highly-regarded specialist, Xia and his team have won awards for their Chinese IP protection program. The team established pioneering IP steering committees to selectively review and make filing decisions to protect “East for East” inventions; in Xia’s words, ‘launching in China at “China speed”’. This came within broader processes which Xia has introduced during his seven-year tenure to help align Honeywell’s Chinese business with its global IP strategies, whilst ensuring compliance with local law. He has built up the country’s IP team from one to seven IP professionals who provide full contentious and non-contentious IP support to around 12,000 employees. On his greatest challenges, Xia points to China’s ever-changing laws and policies and their impact on both IP protection and regulatory compliance for multinational companies operating in the jurisdiction. When asked what law firms could improve upon, Xia points first to ‘cost-effectiveness’ and secondly to client focus: ‘Outside counsel need to learn more about their clients’ businesses and overall legal strategies rather than simply focusing on the specific legal matters brought to them’. A former Baker & McKenzie lawyer, Xia has also provided specialist IP support at Datang Mobile, China.