Professional Profile

Andrew Liao SC has carried on active professional legal practice as a barrister in Hong Kong, specializing in all fields of intellectual property including technology and innovation, cultural and creative industries, brands and trademarks, including patents for inventions, industrial designs, copyright, copyright collective licensing, trademarks and trade names, passing off, trade secrets and confidential information, trade libel and injurious falsehood, allied rights and pre-emptive remedies, as well as general practice in commercial and other areas of law.

Andrew Liao SC has been described as “a revered advocate and authoritative voice on IP matters” (2017), “The first port of call for many firms…one of the most dedicated barristers handling trademark actions” (2018): World Trademark Review 1000 – The World’s Leading Trademark Professionals; “Most of Hong Kong’s leading and legendary IP cases have his fingerprints on them” (2021), “… a legendry barrister in the intellectual property field…” (2022), “… the most senior and renowned IP barrister in Hong Kong…” (2023), “… He is very much respected, detailed in his drafting, and very persuasive in terms of advocacy” (2024): The LEGAL 500 > HONG KONG BAR; “… brings to the table over 40 years’ experience in the IP space and offers expertise covering a comprehensive range of copyright, patent and trade mark issues… a very good strategist who gets to grips with the commercial interests of both parties … very good and comforting talking about cases with lay clients as well as solicitors, even in very difficult cases”: CHAMBERS AND PARTNERS (2023).

Apart from his active professional legal practice, Mr. Liao has continuously participated in public service including those concerning intellectual property in Hong Kong. He was appointed a Member of the Copyright Sub-committee of the Law Reform Commission chaired by the Attorney General. In 1995, he was appointed Non-Official Justice of Peace by the Hong Kong Government. As a member of the Copyright Sub-committee and later the Law Reform Commission, he was instrumental in the reform of the copyright law, leading to the enactment of the first substantive Copyright Ordinance in 1997. He was appointed Chairman of the Copyright Tribunal upon its establishment, and was Convenor of the Hong Kong Bar’s Task Force on Intellectual Property. In 2001, Mr. Liao was awarded the Silver Bauhinia Star by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for his contribution to the reform of intellectual property laws in Hong Kong.

Since the early 2010s, Mr. Liao has continued to be actively and closely involved in reforming the intellectual property laws and promoting Hong Kong as an international IP trading center. He was appointed Chairman of the Steering Committee on Review of Intellectual Property Issues in the Innovation and Technology Sector, appointed to lead as Vice-Chairman of the Working Group on Intellectual Property Trading which published its Report in 2015, and appointed Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Review of the Patent System which published its Report in 2012 leading to the introduction of the Original Grant Patent System in Hong Kong. He had served as a Member of the Advisory Committee on Promotion of Arbitration chaired by the Secretary for Justice, having actively advocated for the establishment of the Panel of Arbitrators for Intellectual Property Disputes at Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre. Mr. Liao has also been Contributing Editor of the High Court Patent Rules Order 103 of the Hong Kong Civil Procedure since its first edition published in 2001.

Mr. Liao has been actively promoting intellectual property, intellectual property trading, intellectual property arbitration and mediation, innovation and technology, cultural and creative industries in Hong Kong and Mainland China, and was the founder and organizer of the BIP Forum (Business of Intellectual Property Forum) from 2007 to 2011 as part of BODW (Business of Design Week), a major international event held annually in Hong Kong.

Mr. Liao was a long serving Non-Official Member of the Executive Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Over the years, while actively carrying on practice at the Bar, Mr. Liao has also continuously participated in public service, having been appointed to a large number of public offices and bodies performing a large range of public functions. For his distinguished public service in Hong Kong, he was awarded the Gold Bauhinia Star by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in 2008.

Mr. Liao was formerly Visiting Professor of the School of Law at Sun Yat-Sen University, Adjunct Professor of the School of Law and Member of the International Advisory Board of the School of Law at the City University of Hong Kong, and Chairman of the Council of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. In 2022, Mr. Liao was awarded the Grand Bauhinia Medal by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for his exemplary contributions to the public service including his significant contributions to the higher education sector, and his meritorious contributions to promoting intellectual property, cultural and creative industries, as well as innovation and technology development in Hong Kong. In 2023, He was awarded the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws honoris causa by The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

He is currently Chairman of the Court of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Chairman of the Law Reform Commission’s Sub-committee on Archives Law and Non-official Justice of Peace. He is also an appointed Member of the Expert Committee of Suzhou International Commercial Court, and an appointed Expert of the Expert Panel on Extra-territorial law of the Higher People’s Court of Jiangsu Province and the Higher People’s Court of Guangdong Province, PRC.