Chris Vale
Asia Regional Director & Global Head of Litigation
The resolution of IP disputes through litigation (as well as arbitration or mediation) form a core part of Rouse's business. Rouse lawyers handle both civil and criminal litigation and also work with enforcement teams on administrative and customs actions.
All our network firms have extremely strong experience bringing and defending IP disputes and have been involved in numerous ground breaking cases worldwide. In the past five years, we have filed or defended close to 2,000 IP disputes including numerous cases involving disputes in multiple jurisdictions.
We analyse every case to identify the most effective strategy or combination of strategies to achieve the best result for our clients. We have in-house evidence specialists who work with our lawyers and to ensure that we gather the best evidence to support our case.
We’re renowned for our innovative services such as CIELA (China IP Litigation Analysis – www.ciela.cn), a unique litigation analysis tool that enables IP owners to evaluate and compare IP litigation venues across China. CIELA provides statistics on IP rulings from across China, or with a focus on specific courts. The system covers all major IP courts in China, with data coming from more than 17,100 IP judgments made at 98 IP courts in 35 mainland cities.
Our leading lawyers have handled numerous trade mark and unfair competition cases.
Our trade mark dispute teams handle the full range of cases from complex litigation involving look alike brands to online infringement, customs seizures, anti-counterfeiting, and protection of geographical indications (GIs).
Our teams are made up of litigators with many years of experience in finding the best solution to trade mark and unfair competition disputes. Our litigators work with both internal and external researchers and evidence specialists to obtain information and evidence to support a case.
Our extensive trade mark and unfair competition litigation experience across a wide range of jurisdictions has seen Rouse involved in many high-profile cases that have set precedents in trade mark law and have been recognised by numerous awards.
We also work closely with our trade marks group to develop strategies for portfolio development and protection as part of many of our cases.
We also work with our enforcement group in a number of matters including custom seizures, online infringement, anti-counterfeiting matters and domain name surveillance, recovery and dispute resolution.
We have a team of lawyers with very substantial patent dispute resolution experience.
We have extensive experience litigating and arbitrating patent disputes covering all areas of technology, including telecommunications, life sciences, industrial chemicals and mechanical patents. We have strong experience in Standard Essential Patent cases.
We pride ourselves on thinking outside the box, developing strategies to assert maximum pressure, including interim injunctions, actions in unexpected jurisdictions, and tactical cancellations.
Our team has handled numerous cross-border litigation cases, co-ordinating with lawyers and patent agents in each country to ensure consistent arguments and the development of a winning strategy in each location. Where necessary, we also work with select counsel in jurisdictions where we do not have offices to advance the client’s strategy
Our team is made up of experienced patent litigators with many decades of experience as well as specialist patent attorneys or agents. Many of them have worked in the industry before their law career, helping them to understand the industrial and commercial drivers behind a dispute. A number of our team members also act as counsel or arbitrators in IP arbitrations.
Our lawyers have extensive experience in handling copyright cases covering all fields of copyright law as well as in protecting or defending design cases.
The digital age has seen an explosion in online copyright infringement from unauthorised content to the wide availability of valuable works available for download.
Our litigation teams handle both civil and criminal copyright cases relating to all types of copyright infringement often involving cross-border assertion of rights. We assist clients to gather evidence of infringement through subpoenas and like tools, prove the ownership and subsistence of their rights and then bring action before the most appropriate bodies.
We also have strong video game, software and entertainment industry experience including actions against circumvention devices and search engines which has given a deep understanding of the technical issues in dealing with such disputes.
Designs are becoming an IP battlefield with the increasing use of online platforms and technologies. Many infringers will not show trade marks in online postings, making it hard - if not impossible - to have products taken down through online complaints procedures.
In China, in particular, companies still continue to copy elements of the designs of famous products. We have recently acted for a major automotive company bringing action on over 20 designs for external car parts against two car manufacturers in China.
We develop strategies to effectively enforce designs from take down notices and administrative enforcement, to litigation in court including advising on the validity and enforceability of the designs and gathering the necessary evidence of the infringement.
Asia Regional Director & Global Head of Litigation
Managing Partner, Global Co-Deputy Head of Dispute Resolution at Lusheng Law Firm (Rouse’s strategic partner)
Managing Partner of Shanghai Office, Co-Deputy Head of Dispute Resolution at Lusheng Law Firm (Rouse’s strategic partner)
Senior Partner at Lusheng Law Firm (Rouse’s strategic partner)
Head of Shanghai Litigation Team at Lusheng Law Firm (Rouse’s strategic partner)
Principal
Principal, Vietnam Country Manager Rouse Legal Vietnam
Deputy Country Manager and Head of Dispute Resolution Team
Managing Partner at Baranda & Associates, Principal and Country Manager of Philippines business
Managing Partner, MEA
Managing Partner at Lusheng Law Firm (Rouse’s strategic partner)
Principal
Country Manager
Principal, Indonesia Head of Dispute Resolution Team
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