Mr. Schmidt began his legal career as a Colorado State prosecutor in the United States. He has substantial trial experience in both the US and the PRC. In 2003, he became associated with Baker & McKenzie’s PRC intellectual property group. In November of 2010, he joined Jun He as counsel. Recently, he joined the law faculty at CUHK (the “Chinese University of Hong Kong”) as a professional consultant.

Mr. Schmidt has extensive experience in all aspects of PRC intellectual property practice, both contentious and non-contentious. He is experienced in managing large trademark portfolios, including Apple’s and Warner Bros.’, and he has helped a number of foreign brand owners achieve PRC “well-known” trademark status. He has overseen the acquisition of very high-profile marks and directed the recovery of numerous stolen marks.

With respect to enforcement, Mr. Schmidt has successfully prosecuted numerous administrative, civil and criminal IP cases in the PRC. He is the architect and prime mover behind Michael Jordan’s naming rights case against Qiaodan Sports (“喬丹體育”). A number of the maters he has help direct have been chosen as model cases either by the Supreme People’s Court or the QBPC (“Quality Brands Protection Committee”).

Back in 1983, Paul was an exchange student at CUHK in the International Asian Studies Program. He was also an actor in the Jacky Chan Kung-fu movie “Project A” (“ A計劃”).

PUBLICATIONS

• Borderwatch – China, Law in Context   (Oct. 2004)
  (Co-author with Joseph Simone) 
• A Review of China’s New Civil Evidence Law, 12 Pac. Rim L. & Pol’y J. 291-313 (Mar. 2003)
• A Critical Review of China’s New Civil Evidence Law, Hong Kong Lawyer (Jan. 2003)

SPEECHES

• China Trademark Search Considerations, Searching for Breakfast: Dechert’s 10th Annual Seminar on TrademarkClearance, Orlando, USA (May 23, 2016)
• Subclasses, “Standard Goods”, 40,000 Characters, and other Peculiar Issues to Remember when Conducting Trademark Searches in the PRC, Global Trademark Search and Application Workshop 2014, Practicing Law Institute, San Francisco, USA (Apr. 24, 2014)
• Winning Trademark Litigation, IBC Legal Conferences, IP Law in China 2013, London, England (Mar. 7, 2013)
• The Rise, Fall and Rise Again (?!) of Socialist Morality: Combating Bad-Faith Trademark Applications in the PRC, The USF School of Law McCarthy Institute and Microsoft Corporation Symposium, Redmond, USA (Feb. 3, 2011)
• A Typical Week for a US State Prosecutor, Renmin University Law School, Beijing, China (Nov. 22, 2007)
• PRC Criminal Law Update, Ambassador’s Roundtable Discussion on Intellectual Property Rights in China, Beijing, China (Oct. 24, 2007)
• Some PRC Legal Issues in Brand Management, The Dutch Business Association’s 13th Annual China Seminar, Hong Kong, China (Nov. 16, 2006)
• China: Who’s Accountable for Infringement in Cyberspace?, Pursuing the Facilitators of Counterfeiting Webinar, Hong Kong, China (Nov.  15, 2006)
• Is Soap for Sale at Wal-MartSucks.com: Tales of Confusion, ADNDRC Conference on Domain Name Dispute Resolution, Hong Kong, China (Oct. 26, 2006)
• Intellectual Property Protection in the People’s Republic of China – 2006, Brazil Delegation Briefing – Shanghai Jiao Tong Univ., Shanghai, China (Oct. 17, 2006)
• An Update of Intellectual Property Law in Hong Kong and Mainland China, Professional Learning Institute, Hong Kong, China (May 25, 2006)
• Intellectual Property Protection in the People’s Republic of China – 2005, US Consulate General – Minnesota Trade Mission Briefing, Hong Kong, China (Nov. 17, 2005)
• Intellectual Property Protection in Hong Kong and China, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China (Oct. 12, 2005)
• Piracy Risks and Security, Asia Pacific Manufacturing Roundtable – Economist Conferences, Shanghai, China (Mar. 16, 2005)
• Trade Secret Protection in the PRC, European Chamber of Commerce, Shanghai, China (Feb. 24, 2005)
• Intellectual Property in the People’s Republic of China, Keeping Pace with China, Shanghai, China (Sept. 23, 2004)