Intellectual property in China Next I moved to Hong Kong to be based with Freshfields’ Asia intellectual property law team. I have been there for the last seven years, specialising in brand strategy and development, media, data and IT (tech and e-commerce) matters. Being on the ground in China has enabled me to be involved in many of the leading developments in the market – both projects in China by international companies and, more recently, Chinese companies looking for investment opportunities abroad. I cover the whole of the Asia region, often travelling to Singapore, Shanghai, Tokyo and Indonesia. I work a lot with luxury brand and consumer retail companies on brand expansion in new markets in Asia. Last year I collaborated with the Fashion Institute of Technology on a book, Fashion Law, for designers and business directors in the fashion and luxury brand industry. The book is a guide to the legal aspects of those businesses and I co-authored the chapter on international brand development. We launched the book in Asia in May 2014 at a suitably glamorous event in Hong Kong, attended by many international fashionista and brands. Oriental opportunities Hong Kong is a very energetic city. People are very positive and like to try new things, which is good for launching new products and creating opportunities. Equally, it is very competitive, so you have to be fast and efficient; otherwise you won’t last long. The city is incredibly international – the supermarkets stock everything from Heston Blumenthal’s Christmas puddings to Italian amaretti and Singaporean kaya. More
for SCU to send visiting students and scholars there and I think this is a good starting point for future cooperation between the two universities; it may also be advantageous for Balliol to get involved in similar projects. The work in SCU is pleasant, with different tasks such as research, teaching and some non-academic responsibilities like those talks. What I enjoy most is the open atmosphere both in research and teaching, which enables you to investigate what you are deeply interested in and to build active interactions with students. I will continue my career here and I believe it will bloom in the near future. I would like to welcome Balliol alumni to Chengdu if anyone is coming: please email me at wangh@scu.edu.cn.
recently we’ve seen increasing Chinese input: the RMB is now accepted as payment in many stores in Hong Kong and, amongst business professionals, fluency in Mandarin and English is a must. I’ve had the chance to be involved in many interesting projects – with Gucci, Stuart Weitzman, Christopher Bailey, Tory Burch, Luca Montezemolo, Lorde and the Paris St Germain and Chelsea football teams. I’ve also learned how to get business done and work with teams in Asia according to local practices, which is something that you can’t do from London! You have to be humble and continually willing to learn new things, because change happens here very quickly and you have to anticipate and prepare for what is coming next. I love the warmer weather in Hong Kong, which allows me to train all year round and continue my competitive sporting pursuits. Since moving to Asia, I’ve raced in international sprint events and won the Hong Kong International Marathon 10K, the Macau International Marathon 6.5K and the Beijing Great Wall Marathon 5K. The races are usually held very early in the morning (5.00am) because of the humidity and heat but, as they say, the early bird catches the worm! Balliol in the East I enjoy catching up with fellow Balliol alumni – and the Master on his visits – at alumni events and Oxford University Society gatherings in Hong Kong. I’ve also met many of the Asia Pathfinders when their travels take them through Hong Kong, and they keep me up to speed with the latest news from Broad Street.
Victoria White receives her prize for winning the Macau International Marathon.
Edgar Wang standing in front of the sign for Sichuan University in Chengdu. i s s u e n o. 2 1 M AY 2 0 1 5
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