Gabriela Kennedy

Intellectual Property and Technology; Cybersecuriy & Data Privacy.

Gabriela Kennedy is a partner of Mayer Brown and head of the Asia IP and TMT group. She is also co-leader of Mayer Brown’s global Intellectual Property practice. She is based in Hong Kong, practising intellectual property, media, information technology and telecommunications law. She handles the full spectrum of intellectual property work from litigation to licensing, strategic advice and portfolio management. Gabriela advises extensively on technology and data protection issues in Hong Kong and throughout Asia, particularly in relation to business processing outsourcing, the cross-border transfer of data, data compliance, data breaches and cybersecurity issues. She has handled a number of data breach complaints filed with the Privacy Commissioner in Hong Kong and has conducted in-depth data audits and drafted/devised privacy manuals and procedures for the Asia operations of a number of multi-national companies. On the information technology side, Gabriela's particular expertise includes advising on complex IT transactions and projects, IT outsourcing, cloud-computing, mobile payments, smart card projects, the regulation of encryption technology, software licensing, and disputes stemming from failed IT projects. She has been involved with a number of international organisations in discussions involving standard setting for the cross-border transfer of data and the formulation of strategies to deal with cyber-security.

Gabriela has been involved in a number of high-profile media transactions and litigation including signal piracy litigation during the last three FIFA World Cups on behalf of cable operators and free-to-air licencees, and litigation relating to ‘must-carry’ and re-transmission rights under the Copyright Ordinance. She has advised collecting societies in relation to licensing deals and disputes involving royalty fees.

Gabriela has extensive experience advising on regulatory and transactional telecommunications matters in Asia. She has advised incumbent operators in Asia on the impact of the introduction of regulation and liberalisation of their respective markets and has substantive experience dealing with the anti-competition provisions in the telecoms law in Hong Kong.

Gabriela has been listed in many directories as a leading lawyer in the fields of intellectual property, technology media and telecoms as well as data protection, e-commerce and the Internet and has received a number of client and other awards.

Gabriela is on the editorial board of Computer Law & Security Report to which she has contributed a regular Asia-Pacific column since 2007. She is also the Asia editor of Computer and Telecommunications Law Review and is on the editorial board of Global Data Review.

A former theoretical linguist Gabriela speaks a number of European languages including English, French, Spanish, Italian, Romanian and Portuguese.

University of Strathclyde, LLM; The University of Hong Kong, PCLL; Manchester Metropolitan University, CPE (Commendation)