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Portrait ofNick Beckett

Nick Beckett

Managing Partner
Managing Partner, Beijing and Hong Kong Offices, Head of Asia-Pacific IP and Life Sciences & Healthcare

Contact
CMS, China
CMS Cameron McKenna LLP Beijing Representative Office (UK)
Room 1909, China Youth Plaza No. 19
Dongsanhuan North Road
Chaoyang District, Beijing 100026
China
Lau, Horton & Wise LLP, in Association with CMS Hasche Sigle, Hong Kong LLP
8th Floor Nexxus Building
41 Connaught Road Central
Hong Kong S.A.R.
Hong Kong
CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP
Cannon Place
78 Cannon Street
London
EC4N 6AF
United Kingdom
Languages English
Dispute Resolution

Nick Beckett is the Managing Partner of the Beijing and Hong Kong Offices and the Head of Asia-Pacific IP and Life Sciences & Healthcare. Nick manages a team of dedicated sector specialists covering Life Sciences & Healthcare, Energy, TMC and Financial Institutions across the Asia-Pacific region. Nick is a Solicitor-Advocate of the English Courts.

Nick is also the former Global Co-Head of the CMS Life Sciences & Healthcare Group.  A position he held for eight years, where he jointly led an international team of more than 480 lawyers, patent attorneys, scientists and academics’ across CMS.

Nick has substantial experience in coordinating complex multi-jurisdictional matters, regularly working with colleagues throughout CMS and around the world. His work in the areas of commercial and corporate transactions and disputes, parallel trade, anti-counterfeiting, trade mark and patent opinions and IP infringement particularly spans international borders.

Nick has been exclusively awarded the Client Choice Award in 2021, 2022 and 2023 by Lexology for Life Sciences in China.  

Nick has been additionally recognised as a ‘Top 15 TMT Lawyer in China 2023’ and ‘Top 15 IP Lawyer in China 2017’ by Asian Legal Business.

Nick is also recommended as a prominent practitioner in his field in the following publications:

  • Chambers & Partners
  • Legal 500
  • Euromoney’s Expert Legal Guide – Life Sciences
  • Who’s Who Legal Life Sciences (Patent Litigation, Regulatory, Transactional)
  • Who’s Who Legal Legal Mainland China & Hong Kong SAR (Life Sciences, Patents, Trade Marks)
  • Who’s Who Legal Legal Mainland China & Hong Kong SAR: Thought Leader – Life Sciences 
  • IAM 1000
  • WTR 1000
  • MIP – IP Stars
  • Doyle’s Guide

Nick was awarded ‘Life Sciences Lawyer of the Year in China’ in Leaders in Law Global Awards and The Best Lawyers in China for Intellectual Property Law (International Firms). 

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"He's very approachable and makes Chinese law easy to understand."

Client Choice Award Winner 2021-2023, Lexology

"He is always quickly available, efficient, and provides complete and solution-oriented advice."

Client Choice Award Winner 2021-2023, Lexology

"He has a really sophisticated understanding of life sciences in the Asia-Pacific region. He's very comfortable and savvy talking through the differences in jurisdictions and he has great commercial, regulatory and litigation expertise. He's just a delightful person, really generous and very inspired."

Chambers

‘Dynamic’ practice head Nick Beckett ‘has an unparalleled ability to bring international teams together to deliver the precise expertise that his clients require’

Legal 500

Heavyweight IP, parallel trade and patent litigation capability for an impressive roster of clients.

Legal 500

Relevant experience

  • One of the world’s leading information technology services companies and successfully defending it in China against a top Chinese state-owned enterprise and its subsidiaries in respect of a management consultancy project and an ERP project that our client implemented for them under a global strategic framework agreement.
  • A world-leading supplier of edible coatings to the pharmaceuticals industry in connection with a patent infringement matter spanning a number of jurisdictions, including China.
  • A leading global bed specialist on the highly sensitive and important employment termination of its former management team in China, including its Managing Director and two senior sales leaders based on unsatisfactory performance and serious wrongdoings.
  • Erbe in the first ever UK patent litigation to deal separately with the issues of infringement and validity coordinating with equivalent litigation in Germany, the US and before the EPO.
  • A Japanese pharmaceutical company in a very significant ICC arbitration, with damages of up to $1 billion, concerning a dispute under a worldwide patent licence agreement in the pharmaceutical sector as a result of the wrongful withdrawal of a licensed pharmaceutical product from the market without consent.
  • Asahi Medical in patent litigation in the UK Patents Court and Court of Appeal for a large Japanese medical device company in connection with their blood filtration technology. This also entailed coordinating concurrent litigation across Europe and liaising with the client's Japanese and European patent attorneys.
  • A leading global pharmaceutical company in a high profile dispute concerning a blockbuster pharmaceutical product. The dispute entailed coordinating litigation in Japan and the UK and jurisdictional issues. Complex pharmaceutical litigation, as well as complicated questions of contract law arose.
  • Takeda on successfully opposing the grant of a competitor’s (Bethesda Pharmaceuticals Inc) European patent at the Opposition Division of the European Patent Office.
  • Quinn Group in connection with a branding dispute regarding the rebranding of the Belfry Hotel as part of the De Vere hotel chain.
  • Sports World International in numerous trade mark litigation matters relating to its own and licensed brands including Kangol, Diadora, Puma and Lonsdale.
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Memberships & Roles

  • Honorary Lecturer - China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
  • Lecturer - Peking University, China
  • Lecturer - University of International Business and Economics (UIBE) 
  • Lecturer - China-EU School of Law, China University of Political Science and Law
  • Listed Arbitrator at the Beijing International Arbitration Centre (BIAC) and Beijing Arbitration Commission (BAC)
  • Listed Advisory Expert of the National Advisory Center for Overseas Intellectual Property Dispute Settlement in China
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Education

  • 2005 - Advocacy Diploma, University of Law, London
  • 2000 - Intellectual Property Diploma, Bristol University, Bristol
  • 1996 - LPC Distinction, University of Law, London
  • 1996 - Professional Skills Course, BPP, London
  • 1995 - CPE Distinction, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester
  • 1994 - BSc Hons Psychology 1st, University of Manchester, Manchester
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Intellectual Property

Nick Beckett is the Managing Partner of the Beijing and Hong Kong Offices and the Head of Asia-Pacific IP and Life Sciences & Healthcare. Nick manages a team of dedicated sector specialists covering Life Sciences & Healthcare, Energy, TMC and Financial Institutions across the Asia-Pacific region. Nick is a Solicitor-Advocate of the English Courts.

Nick is also the former Global Co-Head of the CMS Life Sciences & Healthcare Group.  A position he held for eight years, where he jointly led an international team of more than 480 lawyers, patent attorneys, scientists and academics’ across CMS.

Nick has substantial experience in coordinating complex multi-jurisdictional matters, regularly working with colleagues throughout CMS and around the world. His work in the areas of commercial and corporate transactions and disputes, parallel trade, anti-counterfeiting, trade mark and patent opinions and IP infringement particularly spans international borders.

Nick has been exclusively awarded the Client Choice Award in 2021, 2022 and 2023 by Lexology for Life Sciences in China.  

Nick has been additionally recognised as a ‘Top 15 TMT Lawyer in China 2023’ and ‘Top 15 IP Lawyer in China 2017’ by Asian Legal Business.

Nick is also recommended as a prominent practitioner in his field in the following publications:

  • Chambers & Partners
  • Legal 500
  • Euromoney’s Expert Legal Guide – Life Sciences
  • Who’s Who Legal Life Sciences (Patent Litigation, Regulatory, Transactional)
  • Who’s Who Legal Legal Mainland China & Hong Kong SAR (Life Sciences, Patents, Trade Marks)
  • Who’s Who Legal Legal Mainland China & Hong Kong SAR: Thought Leader – Life Sciences 
  • IAM 1000
  • WTR 1000
  • MIP – IP Stars
  • Doyle’s Guide

Nick was awarded ‘Life Sciences Lawyer of the Year in China’ in Leaders in Law Global Awards and The Best Lawyers in China for Intellectual Property Law (International Firms).  

more less

"He's very approachable and makes Chinese law easy to understand."

Client Choice Award Winner 2021-2023, Lexology

"He is always quickly available, efficient, and provides complete and solution-oriented advice."

Client Choice Award Winner 2021-2023, Lexology

"He has a really sophisticated understanding of life sciences in the Asia-Pacific region. He's very comfortable and savvy talking through the differences in jurisdictions and he has great commercial, regulatory and litigation expertise. He's just a delightful person, really generous and very inspired."

Chambers

‘Dynamic’ practice head Nick Beckett ‘has an unparalleled ability to bring international teams together to deliver the precise expertise that his clients require’

Legal 500

Heavyweight IP, parallel trade and patent litigation capability for an impressive roster of clients.

Legal 500

Relevant experience

  • A European automotive manufacturer in its IP licensing and actions to protect its portfolio from alleged infringement in many jurisdictions by several companies, including China.
  • Erbe in the first ever UK patent litigation to deal separately with the issues of infringement and validity coordinating with equivalent litigation in Germany, the US and before the EPO.
  • A world leading IT network company on the coordination of enforcement activity against a Chinese trademark infringer.
  • A leading international agrochemical company for the client's Crop Protection Business on patent infringement, anti-counterfeiting, customs and regulatory dispute work, including coordinating with other CMS offices and bringing together a network to service the client's needs.
  • An art tools manufacturer on the strategic restructuring of its trademark portfolio in China and the implementation of further agreements to bolster the value of its rights.
  • A world-leading supplier of edible coatings to the pharmaceuticals industry in connection with a patent infringement matter spanning a number of jurisdictions. This involved coordinating patent litigation and patent prosecution, as well as advising the client on general commercial strategy.
  • A Hong Kong based biotechnology company on a freedom to operate (FTO) search on a number of its core products across Asia-Pacific.
  • BudejovickyMetanskyPivovar in trade mark litigation with Anheuser- Busch relating to use of the term BUDWEISER.
  • A major US pharmaceutical company in disputes with numerous parallel traders.
  • Quinn Group in connection with a branding dispute regarding the rebranding of the Belfry Hotel as part of the De Vere hotel chain.
more less

Memberships & Roles

  • Honorary Lecturer - China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
  • Lecturer - Peking University, China
  • Lecturer - University of International Business and Economics (UIBE) 
  • Lecturer - China-EU School of Law, China University of Political Science and Law
  • Listed Arbitrator at the Beijing International Arbitration Centre (BIAC) and Beijing Arbitration Commission (BAC)
  • Listed Advisory Expert of the National Advisory Center for Overseas Intellectual Property Dispute Settlement in China
more less

Education

  • 2005 - Advocacy Diploma, University of Law, London
  • 2000 - Intellectual Property Diploma, Bristol University, Bristol
  • 1996 - LPC Distinction, University of Law, London
  • 1996 - Professional Skills Course, BPP, London
  • 1995 - CPE Distinction, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester
  • 1994 - BSc Hons Psychology 1st, University of Manchester, Manchester
more less
Life Sciences & Healthcare

Nick Beckett is the Managing Partner of the Beijing and Hong Kong Offices and the Head of Asia-Pacific IP and Life Sciences & Healthcare. Nick manages a team of dedicated sector specialists covering Life Sciences & Healthcare, Energy, TMC and Financial Institutions across the Asia-Pacific region. Nick is a Solicitor-Advocate of the English Courts.

Nick is also the former Global Co-Head of the CMS Life Sciences & Healthcare Group.  A position he held for eight years, where he jointly led an international team of more than 480 lawyers, patent attorneys, scientists and academics’ across CMS.

Nick has substantial experience in coordinating complex multi-jurisdictional matters, regularly working with colleagues throughout CMS and around the world. His work in the areas of commercial and corporate transactions and disputes, parallel trade, anti-counterfeiting, trade mark and patent opinions and IP infringement particularly spans international borders.

Nick has been exclusively awarded the Client Choice Award in 2021, 2022 and 2023 by Lexology for Life Sciences in China.  

Nick is also recommended as a prominent practitioner in his field in the following publications:

  • Chambers & Partners
  • Legal 500
  • Euromoney’s Expert Legal Guide – Life Sciences
  • Who’s Who Legal Life Sciences (Patent Litigation, Regulatory, Transactional)
  • Who’s Who Legal Legal Mainland China & Hong Kong SAR (Life Sciences, Patents, Trade Marks)
  • Who’s Who Legal Legal Mainland China & Hong Kong SAR: Thought Leader – Life Sciences 
  • IAM 1000
  • WTR 1000
  • MIP – IP Stars
  • Doyle’s Guide

Nick was awarded ‘Life Sciences Lawyer of the Year in China’ in Leaders in Law Global Awards and The Best Lawyers in China for Intellectual Property Law (International Firms).  

more less

"He's very approachable and makes Chinese law easy to understand."

Client Choice Award Winner 2021-2023, Lexology

"He is always quickly available, efficient, and provides complete and solution-oriented advice."

Client Choice Award Winner 2021-2023, Lexology

"He has a really sophisticated understanding of life sciences in the Asia-Pacific region. He's very comfortable and savvy talking through the differences in jurisdictions and he has great commercial, regulatory and litigation expertise. He's just a delightful person, really generous and very inspired."

Chambers

‘Dynamic’ practice head Nick Beckett ‘has an unparalleled ability to bring international teams together to deliver the precise expertise that his clients require’

Legal 500

Heavyweight IP, parallel trade and patent litigation capability for an impressive roster of clients.

Legal 500

Relevant experience

  • Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited on its €9.6 billion (debt-free cash free) acquisition of Swiss drug company, Nycomed A/S.
  • A Japanese pharmaceutical company in a very significant ICC arbitration, with damages of up to $1 billion, concerning a dispute under a worldwide patent licence agreement in the pharmaceutical sector as a result of the wrongful withdrawal of a licensed pharmaceutical product from the market without consent.
  • A global pharmaceutical company on its market entry into China including obtaining relevant licence and setting up a compliance program, establishing its branch company in China and preparing and submitting the legal documents for the registration with the local authorities.
  • A world leading gas supplier on its joint medical institution project in China in cooperation with its domestic partner from various perspectives (corporate, compliance, regulatory and commercial).
  • A leading global pharmaceutical company in a high profile dispute concerning a blockbuster pharmaceutical product. The dispute entailed coordinating litigation in Japan and the UK and jurisdictional issues. Complex pharmaceutical litigation, as well as complicated questions of contract law arose.
  • One of the leading traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) companies in China in its management control dispute relating to a joint venture in The Netherlands.
  • Eli Lilly in a leading pharmaceutical parallel trade repackaging case before the CJEU.
  • A global leading medical device company on a strategically important investigation into a compliance breach within their distribution channels in Indonesia and South-East Asia.
  • A Japanese pharmaceutical company on conducting IP due diligence in respect of 2 anti-depressant compounds the subject of a successful world-wide collaboration agreement.
  • A Tianjin-based biotechnology company specialising in novel HIV biologics on international pre-clinical through to Phase III clinical trial development.  Identifying opportunities and facilitating introductions to potential R&D partners in Europe and North America.  Advising on potential entry into Western pharmaceutical markets and the feasibility of deal structures, including the licensing of intellectual property and establishing joint ventures.
more less

Memberships & Roles

  • Honorary Lecturer - China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
  • Lecturer - Peking University, China
  • Lecturer - University of International Business and Economics (UIBE) 
  • Lecturer - China-EU School of Law, China University of Political Science and Law
  • Listed Arbitrator at the Beijing International Arbitration Centre (BIAC) and Beijing Arbitration Commission (BAC)
  • Listed Advisory Expert of the National Advisory Center for Overseas Intellectual Property Dispute Settlement in China
more less

Education

  • 2005 - Advocacy Diploma, University of Law, London
  • 2000 - Intellectual Property Diploma, Bristol University, Bristol
  • 1996 - LPC Distinction, University of Law, London
  • 1996 - Professional Skills Course, BPP, London
  • 1995 - CPE Distinction, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester
  • 1994 - BSc Hons Psychology 1st, University of Manchester, Manchester
more less

Feed

12/03/2024
APAC IP Update – Winter 2023/24
ChinaChina’s State Council releases Amended Implementing Regulations of the Patent LawOn 21 December 2023, China’s State Council released the Amended Implementing Regulations of the Patent Law. ...
01/02/2024
China issues new notification threshold for merger control filings
The State Council of China recently revised and published the Provisions of the State Council on the Notification Threshold for Concentrations of Undertakings, which went into effect on 22 January 2024...
18/12/2023
Digital health apps and telemedicine in Hong Kong
Digital Health Apps/Software 1. How is the software within digital health apps classified in your jurisdiction, and what regulation(s) apply? As a starting point, there is no specific or­din­ance/reg­u­la­tion...
Comparable
15/12/2023
China issues guidelines to facilitate cross-border data flow in the Greater...
In a strategic move to promote secure and orderly cross-border flow of personal information within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) and the...
15/12/2023
Chinese court issues landmark judgment in OPPO v. Nokia global FRAND rate...
The Chongqing First Intermediate People’s Court has issued a first instance judgment in the case filed by OPPO against Nokia over royalties for standard essential patents (SEPs). This landmark decision...
14/12/2023
China issues draft Provisions on Reporting Network Security Incidents
On 8 December 2023, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) issued the Draft Provisions on the Management of Network Security Incident Reporting (Draft Reporting Provisions), which are  open for...
13/12/2023
APAC TMC Update - Winter 2023
ASEANComparison of Consent and Other Legal Bases to Process Personal Data across the Asia-Pacific by the Future of Privacy ForumIn September 2023, the Personal Data Protection Commission (“PDPC”)...
16/11/2023
On the Pulse Webinar Series 2023 - Autumn
On the Pulse webinar series brings you updates on the latest legal and commercial developments in the life sciences & healthcare sector. The Autumn edition will see our CMS sector specialists cover: Commercial - Deal landscape and transaction trends in the Life Sciences SectorDispute Resolution - The midnight clause: why choice of law and jurisdiction clauses matterPublic Procurement - Typical pitfalls to be avoided in a procurement process for pharma and medical devices suppliesequIP - Pitfalls for life sciences start-ups to avoidEach webinar will be one hour in length with a 15-minute Q&A session. To register for the full series or just the topics of interest to you, click on the registration links below. To watch the Spring webinars in the On the Pulse series, visit here.
26/10/2023
Global Life Sciences & Healthcare Forum 2023 – recordings & presentations
We were delighted to bring you this year’s Forum, “Blurring Boundaries - Exploring the convergence of life sciences and law”, from Amsterdam. The theme “Blurring Boundaries - Exploring the convergence of life sciences and law” aimed to:Uncover the latest breakthroughs: Dive into the forefront of life sciences advances, including biotechnology, genetics, pharmaceuticals, and medical devicesAddress the regulatory gap: Engage in interactive workshops to bridge the divide between rapid innovation and the development of legal frame­work­sNav­ig­ate global challenges: Explore the impact of globalisation, ethical considerations, privacy concerns, and societal implications on the life sciences sectorFoster collaboration: Connect with legal and scientific minds, exchange ideas, and build valuable re­la­tion­shipsP­resent­a­tions were delivered by fantastic industry speakers, including Annemiek Verkamman (Managing Director, Hollandbio), Charida Dorder (Member of the Dutch AI Coalition), Wouter Boon (Associate Professor, Utrecht University) and Marc Kaptein (Medical Director, Pfizer), as they shared their expertise, thoughts and insights on how the sector is “Blurring Boundaries”. We were also joined by Simon Neill (Senior Legal Director) at Johnson & John­son and Joep Rijnierse (Senior Medical Director) at Amgen in our workshops. This webpage has been designed to keep you updated on the Forum, our speakers, as well as provide you with the useful resources complementing the theme “Blurring Boundaries - Exploring the convergence of life sciences and law”. You will also find on this page details on how to stay connected with CMS through our upcoming webinar series, On the Pulse Webinar Series 2023 - Autumn (cms. law); free eAlert service, Law-Now; and social media channels.
19/10/2023
APAC IP Update – Autumn 2023
ChinaState Council releases IP measures on further optimising the foreign investment environment and enhancing the attraction of foreign investmentOn 13 August 2023, China’s State Council released the...
16/10/2023
Blurring Boundaries – Exploring the convergence of life sciences and law
A unique life sciences Forum brought the legal challenges created by the rapid pace of technological advances into sharp focus with sector focused sessions and informative workshops. Experts from across the sector framed the incredible potential from digital and AI and called for the expertise of legal teams to take the ‘’regulatory handbrake’ off innovation that has transformative potential for healthcare systems and patients. CMS’s much-anticipated Global Life Sciences & Healthcare Forum 2023, co-hosted by Ellen Gielen, Roland Wiring and Gertie Lintjens, delivered a wealth of insight and ignited discussion about how regulatory frameworks can be tested and revised without compromising safety, security and compliance. Blurring Boundaries – Exploring the convergence of life sciences and law heard from leading figures from pharmaceutical companies, cutting edge AI enterprises, legal experts and biotech organisations with a strong accent on debate and collaboration. Marc Kaptein, Medical Director, Pfizer, revealed the unchartered territory he and his team had to tread during the pandemic as the company partnered with BioNTech to release a COVID vaccine and maximise its public uptake. In a fascinating talk, he outlined the twists and turns of the inside story of how Pfizer struck a rapid deal with BioNTech by ‘shaking hands’ and then balanced the societal benefits of maximising its vaccination with legal constraints designed to control public promotion.A willingness to break fresh ground legally, politically, scientifically and logistically was an integral part of the success story and he underlined to guests at the Forum, held in Amsterdam, that ‘without blurring boundaries, we would not have got where we are today’. Joep Rijnierse, Senior Medical Director at Amgen, highlighted its pioneering approach to  work closely with patient groups to generate therapy promise across a complete health condition. He said that the company’s medical departments worked with internal and external legal advisers to find ways to manage constraints in the mission to enhance all areas of healthcare delivery to improve systems and outcomes. Legal expertise is critical in shaping the landscape for AI developments and speakers from across the life sciences spectrum underscored the need for regulatory frameworks to evolve at pace. Life sciences is experiencing seismic change and Thibault Helleputte, the Founder and CEO of DNAlytics, revealed that the BioGPT initiative was able to identify medical hypotheses from deep in the data of 15 million papers in PubMed library to give scientists unprecedented R&D leads. The Forum was an opportunity to discuss how legal teams can use their skill and knowledge to ensure that regulatory frameworks did not impede progress and to explore fast and safe pathways for innovations to become working reality. Wouter Boon, Associate Professor in Innovation and Life Sciences at Utrecht University, emphasised the need to place legal aspects at the inception of the innovation process, observing that the sector was ‘highly regulated for all good reasons but it means that radical innovation has a tough job.’The Forum covered an impressive sweep of themes including AI, digital therapeutics, the challenges of multi-jur­is­dic­tion­al online pharmacies, the new EU medicines directive and co-creation with regulators.“We had a great range of speakers who focused on advances and roadblocks across the life sciences sector and provided us all with some innovative and provocative approaches,” said Nick Beckett, Global Co-Head of CMS Life Sciences & Healthcare Sector Group. “It was a fantastic opportunity to discuss, explore and collaborate and the insights and learnings it generated will help us face global challenges in life sciences.“We have to navigate global challenges such as sustainability, poverty, inequality, ageing populations; concerns about privacy with the use of data, concerns about ethics and the use of AI. To do that we need global perspectives and we believe that CMS as a firm, with 80 offices worldwide, is well positioned to navigate issues, foster collaborations and be a vital partner in moving life science innovation forward in the digital age.”
12/10/2023
Global Life Sciences & Healthcare Forum 2023
Blurring Boundaries - Exploring the convergence of life sciences and law