Charmaine Koo is Head of IP Commercial and Litigation at Deacons. She was a Partner from 2003 to 2023 and served as Co-Head of the IP Department between 2015 and April 2023.
Admitted as a solicitor in Hong Kong, Canada, and England & Wales — and qualified as a barrister in Ontario — Charmaine combines international credentials with deep sector knowledge. She holds a BSc in Biology from the University of Toronto, an LLB from Queen's University, an LLM from Cambridge University, and a Diploma in IP Law and Practice from the University of Bristol.
Her practice spans the full spectrum of intellectual property, from complex commercial transactions and IT/online business issues, to data privacy, cybersecurity, advertising, compliance, and regulatory matters. She has led on high-profile anti-counterfeiting strategies and landmark IP litigation, including Yakult vs. Yakudo, Guccio Gucci S.P.A. vs. Cosimo Gucci, and Tsit Wing (Hong Kong) Company Limited vs. TWG Tea Company Pte Ltd. — the latter reaching Hong Kong's Court of Final Appeal and named "Hong Kong IP Case of the Year 2013" by Managing IP Magazine.
Charmaine is also recognised as one of Hong Kong's leading entertainment lawyers, having previously worked in-house at a global media giant. She brings extensive experience in data privacy, advising on audits, compliance, regulatory investigations, appeals, data breaches, and strategic cross-border data sharing arrangements.
Her client base spans leading internet service providers, luxury brand owners, major film studios, television networks, music publishers, statutory bodies, conglomerates, and multinational corporations across multiple industries.
