On the afternoon of November 15, 2025, the National Intellectual Property Committee of Landing Law Offices, together with the Chongqing Lawyers Association and its Intellectual Property Committee and in association with Landing (Chongqing) Law Office, successfully hosted in Chongqing a themed seminar on “Frontiers in Intellectual Property Theory and Practice” for the Shanghai and Chongqing legal communities. The event brought together leading scholars, practitioners, and seasoned attorneys from both cities to discuss key issues and practical challenges in the IP field, while charting a forward-looking vision for protection and innovation.

The event officially opened under the moderation of Attorney Xiang Junlin, Director of the Intellectual Property Committee of the Chongqing Lawyers Association and Attorney at Beijing Wanhuida (Chongqing) Law Firm. This was followed by opening remarks from Yang Zhi of the Chongqing Lawyers Association. Vice President Yang noted that the seminar was designed to pool the wisdom of both cities in response to the urgent demand, in the digital economy era, for high-level intellectual property protection and high-quality legal services. He expressed the hope that deep exchanges between theory and practice would break regional barriers, build stronger synergy under the rule of law, and inject fresh momentum into coordinated regional innovation and high-quality development.

Vice President Yang Zhi

The first keynote session featured Professor Deng Hongguang of Southwest University of Political Science and Law, who delivered a special lecture on “How to Secure High Awards of Punitive Damages in Intellectual Property Cases.” Drawing on representative judgments from courts across China in recent years, Professor Deng provided an in-depth analysis of the key obstacles currently affecting the application of punitive damages—particularly in establishing “subjective malice” and determining the “base amount” for calculation. He also elaborated on strategies for overcoming these challenges, offering valuable guidance for rights holders seeking substantial damages awards and practical insights for attorneys handling similar matters.

Professor Deng Hongguang

The subsequent featured-sharing session was opened by Xing Xiao, Director of Landing (Chongqing) Law Office, and brought together five distinguished lawyers who have long cultivated deep expertise in the IP field: Qiang Gao, Senior Partner of Landing Law Offices and Director of its Intellectual Property Department; Shen Xianlei, Senior Partner of Landing Law Offices; Tan Mingjin, Senior Partner of Beijing Yingke (Chongqing) Law Firm and Director of its Intellectual Property Department; Zhang Jianjie, Partner of Chongqing Kunyuan Hengtai Law Firm and Director of its Intellectual Property Center; and Runsheng Huang, Director of Landing (Wenzhou) Law Office and Director of Landing’s National Intellectual Property Committee. Focusing closely on industry frontiers and pain points in practice, the speakers shared highly valuable experience and reflections on topics ranging from fair use of copyrighted works in AI training, to strategies for combating malicious trademark squatting, to trade secret protection and management, to the use of evidentiary obstruction rules in litigation, and finally to the development of a specialized IP legal team capable of handling matters at the ten-million-yuan level. Professionally moderated by Huang Liqin, Executive Director of Landing (Chongqing) Law Office, the session moved seamlessly from one topic to the next and delivered a rich series of thought-provoking presentations.

Qiang Gao (front) and Shen Xianlei (back)

Tan Mingjin (front), Zhang Jianjie (center), and Runsheng Huang (back)

In the third stage of the event, Attorney Xiang Junlin, Director of the Intellectual Property Committee of the Chongqing Lawyers Association and Attorney at Beijing Wanhuida (Chongqing) Law Firm; Attorney Xiang Qi of Landing Law Offices; Attorney Xu Fuming, Deputy Director of Landing (Wenzhou) Law Office and Director of Landing Zhejiang–Hainan Intellectual Property Committee; Attorney Kong Linglong, Partner of Beijing Longan (Chongqing) Law Firm and Director of its Intellectual Property Committee; Attorney Liu Xing of Shanghai AllBright (Chongqing) Law Firm and Deputy Director of the Digital Economy Committee of the Chongqing Lawyers Association; Attorney Yang Yanchi, Deputy Director of Chongqing Xishang Law Firm and Director of the Intellectual Property Committee of the Yuzhong District Lawyers’ Working Committee; and Attorney Zhang Chengxu of Landing (Chongqing) Law Office engaged in a multidimensional discussion under the moderation of Attorney Han Mengmeng, Partner of Landing (Hangzhou) Law Office. Centering on the core themes raised in the keynote and featured-sharing sessions, the guests drew on their own extensive practical experience to exchange insights from multiple perspectives. Their dynamic interaction and thoughtful observations sparked lively intellectual exchange and broadened the audience’s horizons while inspiring new approaches to practice.

In closing, Runsheng Huang, Director of Landing’s National Intellectual Property Committee, delivered the concluding remarks. He noted that the successful collaboration between Shanghai and Chongqing carried significance far beyond a single seminar: it demonstrated in practice the immense potential and value of cross-regional cooperation within the legal profession and set a professional example of knowledge sharing and complementary strengths. By breaking regional barriers, forging broader consensus, and opening new pathways for collaborative and mutually beneficial development, the event marked an important step forward. Looking ahead, he expressed the hope that the parties would continue to deepen strategic cooperation, pool wisdom and resources, and inject sustained momentum and outstanding legal insight into the cause of IP protection and the high-quality development of the legal profession.