We are delighted to announce the appointment of Doug Clark as Global Head of Dispute Resolution.
A patent litigation expert with over 25 years’ IP litigation and commercial law experience in China, Clark will be based in our Hong Kong and Shenzhen offices, commencing January 2020.
He will lead the firm’s dispute resolution practice, with particular focus on multinational cross border disputes and the development of Rouse’s IP arbitration practice. He will also form an integral part of Rouse’s strategic IP consultancy offering globally.
The appointment further boosts Rouse’s credentials as the leading provider of IP consultancy and legal services in China and the pan-Asian region. The appointment comes just weeks after the opening of the firm’s newest office in China’s tech capital, Shenzhen.
Prior to 2010, Clark spent 18 years in private practice with a major UK based law firm, where he established the firm’s Mainland China IP practice as well as founding and serving as Managing Partner of the Shanghai office. He was consistently ranked by all the major rankings as a top tier IP practitioner in China.
Since 2010, Clark has practiced as a barrister appearing in IP cases and appeals at all levels in Hong Kong. He has also sat as an arbitrator and acted as an advocate in numerous high technology patent arbitrations. He has handled more than 2,000 patent, trade mark, copyright and passing off/unfair competition cases in Hong Kong and China.
Clark is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and Japanese having studied at university in China and high school in Japan. A prolific author on the topics of IP and international relations, his published works include Patent Litigation in China and Hong Kong Intellectual Property, as well as a three-volume history of British and American extraterritoriality in China from the Opium wars to WWII.
Luke Minford, Rouse CEO, commented:
“Doug’s experience of leading complex cross border disputes in Asia is truly second to none. What got Doug and us excited is the combination of his strategic expertise together with Rouse’s on-the-ground depth and capability in China and across the APAC region. It’s a combination that can only be good for our clients and sends a very clear signal to the market that no firm is better positioned to handle disputes in Asia.”
Doug Clark commented:
“I am very excited to join Rouse to lead and expand the international dispute resolution practice. Rouse’s platform across China and Asia is second to none. The opportunity to take such a strong practice to the next level was too good to refuse. I am looking forward with much excitement to joining Rouse”.
Rachel Tan, General Manager, Rouse Hong Kong, commented:
"We are thrilled to have Doug join our Hong Kong office. Doug is a leading light in the China IP industry and embodies the same pioneering spirit we have at Rouse. We can't wait to work alongside him and for our clients to experience the depth and breadth of his unrivalled expertise".
In 1993, Rouse became the first international IP firm to establish a base in China. The company has continued to strengthen its presence in the country, with over 300 professionals now working from offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong.