Mr Jonathan Chu > CMS > Shanghai, China > Lawyer Profile

CMS‘ TMT team mainly advises clients on IP and fintech matters related to the TMT sector. The team assists with both contentious and non-contentious IP issues, including anti-counterfeiting, IP rights enforcement and litigation. The team is led by Jonathan Chu, who advises on commercial and regulatory matters including TMT transactions and commercial agreements. Mengyi Chen assists with IP transactions and enforcement. Nick Beckett left the firm in April 2024.

Providing extensive expertise in internal investigations, whistleblowing claims, and major restructurings, the CMS team displays special knowledge across the automotive and tech industries. The firm regularly acts for multinationals on day-to-day employment matters and compliance in Hong Kong, with the team head Jonathan Chu specialising in employee data protection and transactional issues. Candy Tong is knowledgeable on termination matters, and Mengyi Chen focuses on complex employment contract issues.

Demonstrating strength in defending winding up actions brought by creditors, and advising on multi-jurisdictional bankruptcy cases, CMS Hong Kong LLP is noted for representing Chinese and global companies from across the banking, manufacturing, and digital sectors. Kingsley Ong leads the team, bringing extensive experience of insolvency workouts and restructurings to the group, Andrew Horton is a litigation expert, and Steven Wise is knowledgeable in the shipping and marine insurance fields. Jonathan Chu is a commercial litigator, while both Simon Barrell and Tony Lau are key names within the practice.

CMS Hong Kong LLP enjoys a large clientele across a variety of industries. It handles a steady flow of trade mark and patent filings as well as arbitration matters. Jonathan Chu is recommended for IP protection, licensing, technology transfer, portfolio management, and IP transactions. Candy Tong is a name to note for trade mark prosecution and filing. Mengyi Chen is also a name to note.

CMS‘ data protection and cybersecurity practice sits within the firm’s wider TMT practice, and is therefore engaged in a number of entertainment industry. The group stands out for its ability to lean on an extremely large global network of law firms, leveraging this to assist clients with data protection and cyber security matters of a multi jurisdictional nature. Jonathan Chu has a history of advising on cyber security threats and employee theft of data, and privacy policies, and has a varied client roster which features household names such as Disney. Chu is well supported by senior associate and IP practitioner Mengyi Chen, who is adept at handling GDPR audit/compliance checks in the PRC.

CMS is known for its global expertise in the TMT sector and has strong on-the-ground presence in mainland China. The Shanghai team is spearheaded by Ulrike Glueck, who brings expertise in both TMT and corporate matters and is especially adept at advising German companies on regulatory issues and transactions in mainland China. Following the departure of previous practice head Nick Beckett who retired in April 2024, Jonathan Chu has taken over as practice leader of the Beijing TMT team while continuing to direct the Hong Kong TMT group. Falk Lichtenstein is a key member of the Beijing team and supports international clients in the automotive, technology and manufacturing sectors with corporate TMT issues. Panpan Tang sits in Shanghai and is noted for her expertise in data matters.

CMS is known for its expertise in transactions including transactional IP issues which are led out of the firm’s Beijing office. Splitting his time between Beijing and Hong Kong, Jonathan Chu oversees the ‘very commercial and collaborative’ team and is well-versed in IP enforcement, transactions and prosecution. The group advises both domestic and international clients with non-contentious IP issues and also has strong contentious capacities. Shanghai-based ‘Ulrike Glueck assists with trade mark issues. Panpan Tang assists Glueck in Shanghai with trade mark and patent infringements, trade mark portfolio management and trade mark licensing, while Lily Li is noted for advising on IP protection and enforcement. Former Beijing and Hong Kong managing partner Nick Beckett left the firm in April 2024.

CMS‘s data privacy practice sits within its wider TMT and M&A group and assists major international TMT clients with their data-related issues in China. The group often advises on cross-border issues such as data transfers and is well-versed in handling sensitive data. Ulrike Glueck co-leads the team from Shanghai and is an expert in data compliance-related issues. Fellow practice head Jonathan Chu operates from the Beijing and Hong Kong offices and focuses on data protection and cybersecurity matters. Panpan Tang resides in Shanghai and is key to assisting with privacy policies and data-sharing contracts, while Kelly Chen offers expertise on policy developments within data protection from Beijing. Nick Beckett retired from practice in 2024.

From reviewing complex employment contracts to formulating termination agreements, the CMS practice has in-depth expertise across all facets of the automotive, TMT and life sciences sectors. The firm also boasts a strong track record in the resolution of labour and non-soliciting disputes, with Shanghai-based head Jeanette Yu being an expert in non-compete provisions, union issues and wrongful termination claims. Splitting his time between Beijing and Hong Kong, Jonathan Chu is highly knowledgeable on employee data protection measures, while Beijing’s Roxie Meng primarily focuses on secondment and visa matters.

CMS has ‘excellent industry and legal knowledge of the life sciences and healthcare sectors across the region’. The practice covers corporate matters, IP, commercial law, regulatory, compliance, taxation and transfer pricing, as well as antitrust, fraud, anti-corruption, dispute resolution, and international arbitration. Beijing office head Jonathan Chu also leads the firm’s IP practice in Beijing and Hong Kong, including the life sciences and healthcare sector group; and Nicolas Zhu  in Shanghai acts for life sciences clients on corporate and IP matters. Over in Beijing, Roxie Meng advises on life sciences and healthcare-related due diligence, compliance, employment, disputes and competition; while Laila Lu is another Shanghai contact to note. Former Beijing and Hong Kong managing partner Nicholas Beckett departed the firm in April 2024.