PROFESSIONAL PROFILE
Susan Fan Zhang is a Partner and Head of the Intellectual Property Legal Services Department at Finance & Commerce Law Firm of China, holding dual qualifications as a Chinese Lawyer and Patent Attorney. She is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb).
With dual master’s degrees in Biology and Law and extensive frontline research management experience, Ms. Zhang specializes in technology and IP dispute resolution. She has represented clients in multiple IP civil cases with claims exceeding ten million RMB, as well as criminal cases involving trade secrets and patents. She serves as a Member of the Life Ethics Committee at Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, mediator at the Greater Bay Area IP Mediation Center and Wuhan Yangtze International Commercial Mediation Center. She also serves as an arbitrator at multiple arbitration institutions including the Wuhan International Arbitration Center, and holds key appointments as an IP Technical Investigator at the Nansha District People’s Procuratorate and an expert for cross-border IP enforcement. Grounded in her in-depth mastery of China’s domestic IP legal system, she maintains working familiarity with IP frameworks across major jurisdictions including the US, the UK, Chinese Hong Kong and Chinese Taiwan. She specializes in China-related international IP arbitration, combining authoritative local legal insights with global standards to resolve cross-border technology disputes. She advises multinationals on China-market IP portfolio layout and enforcement, and provides patent analysis, evidence support and targeted assistance for Chinese companies confronting US Section 337 proceedings and overseas IP litigation.
EXPERIENCE
Apr 2014 – Present | China
Partner, and Head of Intellectual Property Legal Services Department | FINANCE & COMMERCE LAW FIRM OF CHINA
· Dispute Resolution and Litigation: Spearheaded domestic and cross-border IP litigation, arbitration and non-litigation work. advised multinationals on IP portfolio and enforcement layout for China market entry, and provided technical analysis and resource support for Chinese enterprises involved in US Section 337 investigations and overseas IP infringement disputes, delivering full-spectrum IP legal solutions for tech companies, research institutes and investment institutions.
· Case Track Record: Handled over 70 IP cases in the past five years, covering patents, trade secrets, and software copyrights. Served a diverse client base including high-tech enterprises, research institutes, and investment institutions, establishing verifiable practical benchmarks in complex technical evidence analysis and ownership dispute resolution.
· Landmark Case: Awarded the “Outstanding IP Case of 2025” by the firm in Jan 2026. Led the complex technical evidence analysis process in a comprehensive dispute involving patent ownership and trade secret infringement in the national high-end equipment manufacturing sector, successfully establishing new practical standards for ownership dispute resolution.
· Compliance and Think Tank Research: Commissioned by the China (Shenzhen) Intellectual Property Protection Center in Dec. 2020 to lead the drafting of the Report on Trade Secret Protection and the Guidelines for Enterprise Trade Secret Protection. This initiative was recognized as a “Typical IP Achievement of Shenzhen in 2020,” providing official practical guidelines for regional enterprise compliance.
Jul 2008 – Apr 2014 | China
Research Director / Researcher | SUN YAT-SEN UNIVERSITY
· Research and Administration: Served as a researcher in the School of Life Sciences, conducting frontline biological research; later appointed as research director at the Shenzhen Research Institute, overseeing research project management, technology transfer, and IP application and administration.
· IP Compliance Foundation: Participated in patent portfolio layout and IP compliance reviews for multiple technological achievements. Successfully integrated frontline research experience with early-stage IP practice, laying a solid dual foundation in complex technical evidence analysis and research management for subsequent technology legal services.
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS and AFFILIATIONS
1. International Arbitration Professional Credentials
• Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) Member (Aug 2025 – Present)
2. Core Domestic IP Dispute Resolution and Technical Judicial Qualifications
• Arbitrator, Wuhan International Arbitration Center (Apr 2026 – Present)
• Arbitrator, Qingyuan Arbitration Commission (Mar 2026 – Present)
• Arbitrator, Shantou Arbitration Commission (Sep 2023 – Present)
• Arbitrator, Zhaoqing Arbitration Commission (Nov 2023 – Present)
• Commercial Mediator, Wuhan Yangtze International Commercial Mediation Center (IP Division) (Apr 2025 – Present)
• Specially Appointed Mediator, IP Tribunal of Huangpu District People’s Court, Guangzhou
• IP Technical Investigator, Nansha District People’s Procuratorate, Guangzhou (Apr 2025 – Present)
• Expert for Cross-border IP Protection Assistance, China (Shenzhen) Intellectual Property Protection Center (Nov 2023 – Present)
3. High-End Academic and Industry Expert Appointments
• Committee Member of Bioethics, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School (Dec 2023 – Dec 2028)
• Expert Panel Member, Guangdong Intellectual Property Protection Association (Apr 2024 – Present)
• Evaluation Expert covering Biomedical, Chemical Engineering and IP Legal Services, Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Finance (Aug 2022 – Oct 2028)
SKILLS
IP and Legal：Intellectual Property Litigation, Patent and Trade Secret Disputes, Cross-border IP Transactions, Technology Transfer and Compliance
Dispute Resolution: International Commercial Arbitration, Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), Mediation, Complex technical evidence analysis
STEM Technical Background: Biotechnology and Life Sciences, Molecular Biology and Genetics, Complex technical evidence fact-finding, Regulatory Compliance