Wallace (Weihua) Li

Wallace Li graduated from the School of Intellectual Property of Shanghai University and Emory University School of Law and obtained a master’s degree in law in China and the US respectively. Wallace Li is currently an Equity Partner of Beijing Dacheng Law Offices, LLP (Shanghai) and the Co-chair of Dacheng China Intellectual Property Practice. At the same time, Wallace Li is the Co-chair of Dacheng China, Technology, Media and Telegram (TMT) Group.

Wallace Li has been engaged in IP law research and legal practice since 2009. He is a senior lawyer with rich practical experience in the fields of IP, especially copyright and culture and entertainment. Wallace Li‘s professional scope covers IP litigation/arbitration, IP transactions/licensing, the Internet and unfair competition, culture media and entertainment, network security and data compliance, etc. Clients comment on him as being good at using his superb skills and professional capabilities combined with business thinking to seek the best solutions for customers.

Lawyer Wallace Li has represented many IP litigation or non-litigation cases that have significant influence domestically and internationally. For example, the “Qiong Yao v. Yu Zheng Copyright Infringement Case” that lawyer Lawyer Wallace Li participated in is one of the most socially influential IP cases in China in the past decade, and the case was rated as one of “the top ten intellectual property cases in Chinese courts in 2016”; the “Miyue Zhuan Copyright Infringement Series” represented by lawyer Wallace Li was selected among the “Top Ten Hot Cases in the Copyright Field in China in 2015–2016” and the “Top Ten Hot Cases in the Copyright Field in China in 2019–2020” by the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI). This case was also selected by the Shanghai Lawyers Association as one of the “Top Ten Cultural & Entertainment Cases in China in 2020” and was selected as one of the “Top Ten Intellectual Property Cases” by the Dacheng Dentons China Intellectual Property Committee. This case affects the authorship rights in the film and television field. Issues such as the identification of infringement and the identification of copyright ownership of script-derived novels in the legal relationship of commissioned creation have far-reaching implications; in 2018, three IP cases represented by lawyer Wallace Li were selected for the “Top Ten Judicial Protection Cases of Intellectual Property in 2017” by Shandong High Court, Zhejiang High Court and Shanghai Pudong Court. Among them, “Shanghai Zaihe Network Technology Co., Ltd. and Zhejiang Taobao Network Co., Ltd. and other unfair competition disputes” was the first behavioural preservation injunction imposed by the Shanghai Pudong Court; in 2019, lawyer Wallace Li represented the “Crocodile Trademark Dispute Administrative Litigation Case” between Singapore’s Crocodile International Institutions Pte. Ltd. and the French company Lacoste. The Supreme People’s Court selected it as one of the “50 Typical Intellectual Property Cases of Chinese Courts in 2018”. This case has guiding significance in determining the similarity of trademarks between commercial entities with specific historical origins. In addition, lawyer Wallace Li has also participated in the “Wong Lo Kat and Jiaduobao trademark infringement case”, “World Football King Maradona and Ninetowns Game Commercialization Rights Dispute Case”, “The Three-Body” animation and script copyright rights confirmation and infringement case”, “Ultraman’s well-known trademark infringement and unfair competition case” and many other major impact cases.

Wallace Li has contributed to several IP publications, including Chinese Enterprise Overseas Intellectual Property Dispute Typical Case Insights (Intellectual Property Publishing House/2010), Distillation & Application of Legal Rules: Reinterpretation of “People’s Judicial Cases” (Law Press/2017), as well as Cultural & Entertainment Legal Practice (Law Press/2023). He has also published more than 50 articles on IP, both academic and interview-based, in such authoritative journals as Electronic Intellectual Property, China Intellectual Property News, Chinese Trademark and Prosecution Storm, as well as in prestigious media outlets, including Xinhua News Agency, China News Service, The Paper and Southern Metropolis Daily.

This long-term practice in IP has earned Wallace Li high recognition from clients and the industry. Wallace Li’s accolades include:

• Named by LEGALBAND as a “China 30 under 30 Lawyer” for 2015.
• Specially recommended by CLECSS as a “China Top 10 under 40 Lawyer” for 2017.
• Listed by IPLEAD as one of the “China Excellent IP Lawyers” for 2019.
• Ranked by China Power-Nation IPR Forum as an “Annual Top 10 Trademark Lawyer” for 2020.
• Awarded “The 8th Pudong New Area Top Ten Outstanding Rising Young Lawyers” in 2020.
• Recommended Intellectual Property Lawyer in the Asia-Pacific region by the Legal 500 in 2023 and 2024.
• Awarded “Rising Star” in Business Law in 2023.
• Named by LEGALBAND as a “Top 15 Entertainment Lawyers in China” in 2023.
• Awarded Who’s Who Legal’s Global Intellectual Property Law Expert in the Copyright Field in 2023.
• Awarded LEXOLOGY Client Choice Award for the Global Client Preferred Lawyer in the Copyright Field in 2024.

In the years 2023–2024 alone, Wallace Li received recognition and recommendations from six authoritative legal rankings.

In addition to his legal practice, Wallace Li actively shares his experience and knowledge with students at law schools through various channels. He currently serves as a researcher/part-time lecturer at multiple universities, including:

• Special Researcher at the Institute of Intellectual Property & Competition Law, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
• Global Governance Researcher at Northwestern Polytechnical University
• Deputy Director of the Film & Television Law Research Center, Shanghai University Law School
• External Mentor at Shanghai University Law School
• External Mentor at East China University of Science & Technology Law School
• Part-time Master’s Supervisor at Shanghai University of Political Science & Law

Wallace Li regularly or irregularly holds academic lectures, employment salons or special lectures for students at these law schools. In 2023, he was also appointed as an expert in the Pudong New Area Intellectual Property Expert Database and as a legislative expert in the legislative work of the Pudong New Area, Shanghai. He actively participates in local government or industry legislative or decision-making consulting work. In addition, he currently serves as an arbitrator or member of the expert advisory committee at several institutions, including the Guangdong Maoming Arbitration Commission, Henan Puyang Arbitration Commission and Hebei Chengde Arbitration Commission. By observing and handling cases from the perspective of an arbitrator, Wallace Li is better equipped to serve as a representative in legal proceedings. He also serves as the Head of the China Alumni Association at Emory University School of Law, responsible for alumni affairs and activities in China.