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Nick Beckett

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

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

"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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Publications

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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

"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

Publications

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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
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

"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

Publications

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
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Expertise

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