DLA Piper has appointed leading intellectual property practitioner, Yan Zhao, as a partner in its Asia Intellectual Property team.

Zhao has more than 13 years' experience in China covering patent prosecution and patent litigation work as well as general IP work.

Zhao will be based in Shanghai but will also spend time in DLA Piper's Hong Kong office.

Zhao joined DLA Piper from Foley & Lardner where he was senior counsel.

"Over the coming months we are hoping to make additional announcements about the further strengthening of our IP offering in China," said Matthew Glynn, partner and head of IPT for DLA Piper in Asia.

Zhao is admitted to practice as a lawyer in New York and China and as a patent attorney in China and Singapore. He is fluent in English, Mandarin and Cantonese.