In a further boost to HGF’s chemistry team, the leading IP specialist has hired European and Chartered Patent Attorney Hsu Min Chung as a partner in its Chancery Lane office in London. Her expertise in drafting, filing and prosecuting European patents in the chemistry, material science and pharmaceuticals fields further strengthens the London team and the national chemistry team headed by Nigel Sanderson.

Joining from another leading patent and trade mark attorneys where she was also a partner and with prior experience as an in-house patent attorney for a major multinational oil company, Hsu Min has experience managing substantial patent portfolios for clients including universities, start-up companies and multinational corporations.

She has represented clients at Oral Proceedings before the European Patent Office and regularly provides clients with opinions on their freedom to operate in the light of third party rights. She has also produced due diligence reports for company flotations on AIM. She advises clients in a wide range of chemical fields, including pharmaceuticals, polymers, catalytic processes, petrochemicals, fuel cells, electrochemistry, water purification and household products.

Paul Sanderson, CEO of the HGF Group, said: “We are delighted to welcome Hsu Min to HGF. The attraction of such a high calibre individual to the firm from another leading IP firm is testament to our rapid growth and growing reputation as one of the top five IP firms in the UK. Hsu Min’s experience in managing patent portfolios, IP due diligence, appeals and oppositions will be a considerable asset to the firm’s clients and will further strengthen the services of our London office and our substantial chemistry team.”

Hsu Min’s Mandarin and Cantonese language skills will also be a big asset to the firm in developing IP work with China, where the recent rapid increase in the number of patent applications and international patent filings reinforce the country’s economic shift towards innovation and IP protection. Born in Malaysia and educated in Europe, Hsu Min speaks Italian, Mandarin, Cantonese and French.

She has a First Class Honours Degree in Chemistry from Oxford University, and has authored a number of articles including several articles for Bio-Science Law Review.

Hsu Min Chung’s appointment is the latest in a series of high-level partner hires for HGF in London, most recently that of heavyweight brand lawyer Michael Varvill, who joined HGF Law as a partner from a top City law firm in April this year.