Darren Leng, Partne rof Beijing Zhonglun W&D (Shenzhen) Law Firm,Vice Chair of Intellectual Property Practice Committee.

Attorney-at-Law and Patent Attorney Darren Leng specializes in intellectual property, dispute resolution, and cross-border litigation. His core expertise encompasses patent infringement litigation, patent administrative decision, patent invalidation proceedings and related administrative lawsuits, as well as standard essential patent (SEP) disputes. He advises clients on patent infringement/validity analysis, freedom-to-operate (FTO) analysis, patent portfolio transactions, along with trademark, copyright, trade secret disputes, and cross-border IP conflicts.

Darren's representative domestic clients include Meizu, OnePlus, OPPO, Zhuhai CosMX Battery, Master Kong, Human Horizons, Foxconn, Edifier. His international client portfolio features Illinois Tool Works (USA), Graco (USA), Skechers U.S.A. (USA), Signode Corporation (USA), Amazon (USA), Newell Brands (USA), LYCRA Company (UK), and b.box (Australia), among others.

Achievements

• 2021–2023     ZTE Corporation，Intellectual Property Attorney
• 2023–2024     ChangTsi & Partners (Shenzhen) Law Firm,Attorney
• 2024–Present    Beijing Zhonglun W&D (Shenzhen) Law Firm, Partner

Achievements

• Patent Litigation in China

Darren has represented OnePlus in SEP infringement litigation against ACT; acted for Meizu in SEP infringement litigation against ACT; represented Master Kong in patent administrative litigation against Nissin Foods Holdings Co., Ltd.; assisted OPPO in SEP infringement litigation against Nokia Corporation; participated in BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.'s patent infringement litigation against Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.; and handled patent infringement disputes for Zhuhai CosMX Battery Co., Ltd. against Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL). 

• Patent Invalidation Proceedings in China

Darren successfully defended Illinois Tool Works Inc. (USA) in a patent invalidation proceeding, maintaining the patent's validity. He invalidated a patent owned by a Ningbo-based company on behalf of a client and prevented patent authorization by filing third-party observations against another Ningbo-based entity. Additionally, he represented Graco Minnesota Inc. (USA) in a patent invalidation case, securing the patent's validity.

• Patent Administrative Enforcement in China

Darren successfully enforced IP rights for b.box against a Guangzhou-based infringer, leading to seizure of counterfeit products. He represented LYCRA Company (UK) in an enforcement action against a Hangzhou-based company, achieving product seizure and injunction. For b.box, he resolved four infringement cases against Taizhou-based companies with administrative decision in favor of his client. He also defended a domestic client in two competitor-initiated administrative cases, resulting in the plaintiff's withdrawal. 

• Cross-Border IP Disputes

As case manager for ZTE Corporation's U.S. and European patent litigation, Darren conducted patent analysis, formulated litigation strategies, managed case progression, and resolved the cases through cost-effective settlements. He led SEP licensing negotiations for ZTE, significantly reducing royalty expenditures. He has prepared non-infringement analyses for cross-border e-commerce clients to restore blocked product listings. 

• IP Non-Contentious Practice

Darren advises on drafting and negotiating all types of IP agreements, including licensing/transfer contracts, and has developed internal IP agreement guidelines. His expertise covers patent valuation, FTO analysis, patent invalidation recommendations, design-around strategies, patent infringement risk assessments, and patent validity studies.

Honors

1、In April 2023, "How will China’s new Patent Law change the litigation landscape?" was published in "Managing IP".

2、In April 2024, "China’s rapid and robust administrative patent protection system" was published in "Managing IP".

Huazhong University of Science and Technology,Juris Master
Nanjing Tech University,Bachelor of Engineering

PRC Lawyer’s Practicing Qualification

Chinese and English