Connie Carnabuci is a partner and head of the intellectual property/information technology (IP/IT) practice group and telecommunications, media and technology (TMT) sector group in Asia. Her IP/TMT practice covers IT outsourcing, and other IT and telecoms agreements and related data privacy and other regulatory advice. Her IP practice includes copyright, trademark and patent protection, enforcement and commercialisation, with particular expertise in internet and other new media issues. She also advises on the IP/IT aspects of acquisitions, spin-offs, joint ventures, and initial public offerings.

Her recent experience includes advising:

  • Atlantis Resources Corporation (a Morgan Stanley affiliate) on the commercial deployment of its tidal energy technology through a joint venture with International Power;
  • China Telecom, on its cooperation with Research Interactive Motion with respect to the introduction of CDMA Blackberry services into China;
  • Esprit, the fashion clothing retail chain, on the HK$ 3.9bn buy-out of its Esprit China JV and assistance to further integrate the company's operations in China;
  • KKR on various aspects of the management of its trademark portfolio in Asia and related enforcement issues in China;
  • MAN on its acquisition of a 25 per cent stake in Hong Kong listed Sinotruk. China’s largest manufacturer of heavy trucks. Central to the strategic cooperation was MAN’s contribution of a licence of certain ‘core’ technology to Sinotruk;
  • Macquarie Telecommunications on a comparative law review of the legal and regulatory risks of cloud computing in the US, Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore;
  • Rainbow Group on the establishment of a joint venture with Hugo Boss to operate retail stores in the PRC and Macau and the continued provision of services by the franchisee to the joint venture.
  • Rothschild on various aspects of its trademark portfolio in China, and related PRC enforcement;
  • Sasol Synfuels on a range of IP advice in relation to technology transfer for the establishment of a US$5 billion coal to liquids facility in china, patent protection and enforcement and invalidation, and trade secret misappropriation in the PRC; and
  • Vimpel - Communications on its US$66m acquisition of a 78% stake in Millicom Lao Co.Ltd., a mobile telecommunications company with operations in Lao.

Connie is a member of the Emerging Issues Committee of the International Trademark Association. She is also on the international advisory panel of Intellectual Property Magazine.

Connie features in Chambers Asia 2000 as a leading intellectual Property and Telecoms, Media and Technology practitioner in China. Connie is also named as one of the world’s leading patent and technology licensing lawyer by International Asset Management and was nominated by Euromoney in their Leading Women in Business Law, in the Technology sector.

Connie is admitted in New South Wales, Australia and Hong Kong. She speaks fluent English and conversational Italian and French.

Contact details

connie.carnabuci
@freshfields.com

  • Hong Kong office
  • 11th Floor
    Two Exchange Square
    Hong Kong
  • Telephone
  • +852 2846 3300
  • Fax
  • +852 2810 6192