On 16 July 2026, Asian Legal Business (ALB), a Thomson Reuters publication, announced the finalists for the 2026 ALB China Regional Legal Awards: East China. Covering six provinces and one municipality in East China—Shandong, Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi and Shanghai—the awards recognise leading law firms, outstanding in-house legal teams and distinguished legal professionals in the region.

Amid strong competition, Watson & Band was once again shortlisted for two prestigious awards in recognition of its professional excellence and strong market reputation: “Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year: East China – Local” and “Technology, Media and Telecommunications Law Firm of the Year: East China – Local”.

Intellectual Property: More than Three Decades of Expertise and Industry Leadership

Intellectual property is one of Watson & Band’s core and long-established practice areas. The Firm has accumulated extensive experience in IP litigation and has successfully represented clients in numerous landmark cases, including China’s first patent infringement action between two foreign companies, the first patent infringement action brought by a Japanese company against a Chinese company, and Shanghai’s first case in which a trademark was recognised as well-known in a cross-border context.

Watson & Band also leverages its substantial litigation experience in its non-contentious IP practice, including patent and trademark prosecution and IP transactions. The Firm provides end-to-end services throughout the IP lifecycle, from rights identification and strategic portfolio planning to filing, registration, protection and enforcement.

TMT: A Forward-looking Practice Driving Legal Innovation in the Digital Era

In the technology, media and telecommunications (TMT) sector, Watson & Band’s TMT team has developed deep expertise in artificial intelligence, information technology and telecommunications. The team provides comprehensive legal services to leading game developers, internet platforms and technology companies. A number of its cases have been selected among the Supreme People’s Court’s representative IP cases and representative unfair competition cases.

Watson & Band has also been recognised by Chambers in both the TMT: Data Protection & Privacy and TMT: Media & Entertainment categories, underscoring its integrated capabilities at the intersection of the digital economy and the cultural and entertainment sectors. More recently, the Firm received China Business Law Journal’s 2026 China Business Law Awards in the artificial intelligence, information technology and telecommunications categories.

This latest ALB shortlist is not only a further endorsement by an internationally recognised legal publication of Watson & Band’s leading strengths in IP and TMT, but also recognition of the continued development of the Firm’s integrated legal-services platform.

While building on its traditional strengths, Watson & Band has in recent years expanded rapidly into emerging and forward-looking areas, including cybersecurity and data protection, cross-border dispute resolution, financial and capital markets, and life sciences and healthcare. Its practice teams and lawyers have received repeated recommendations from international legal directories and publications such as Chambers, Asian Legal Business and The Legal 500. Guided by its commitment to professionalism, efficiency and comprehensive service, Watson & Band responds to clients’ increasingly complex and diverse legal needs through cross-practice collaboration and forward-looking planning.

Looking ahead, Watson & Band will continue to broaden its service offering and enhance its overall capabilities. With stronger professional expertise and higher-quality service, the Firm remains committed to creating long-term value for clients in East China and across the country, and to supporting them as they move forward with confidence.