Sindy Ding-Voorhees / 丁文锦
Counsel
Overview

Sindy Ding-Voorhees is a counsel in the Greater China Brands team. She works primarily in our Seattle office and plays a very active role in the expansion and support of the Beijing office. She focuses her practice on trademark, copyright law, and fashion law-related matters, and she has extensive experience in creating brand protection strategies, managing trademark/copyright portfolios, and leading online and offline enforcement programs for the world’s renowned brands in Greater China. Her substantial experience with the full range of trademark and copyright issues in China, as well as her bilingual language skills (English and Mandarin Chinese), are dedicated to creating thoughtful brand expansion and protection strategies that adapt to the Chinese market and culture. She is uniquely positioned to bring a Western-style of law practice to solving problems and creating solutions working within a different civil code-based legal regime.

Sindy has substantial experience in addressing trademark infringement issues, pursuing contentious actions with the Chinese administrative bodies, and litigating civil infringement cases with Chinese courts. She not only helps her clients assess risks in every action, but focuses on prioritizing issues and developing big-picture strategies from both legal and business perspectives. She has obtained numerous favorable trademark decisions from the Chinese Review and Adjudication Board, and on appeal from the Beijing Intellectual Property Court. She has represented clients in high-profile, high-stakes trademark and domain name infringement litigation, and has obtained favorable rulings from the Supreme People’s Court of the PRC, Beijing Higher Court, and local Intermediate Courts.

Her experience with IP enforcement dates back to when she was in-house at one of the world’s leading apparel companies in New York. She has a deep understanding of both online and offline enforcement approaches in China and helped world-leading retail and consumer goods brands systematically combat counterfeiting issues through litigation and non-litigation resolutions.

Sindy was born and raised in China and received her education in China, France, and the U.S. Her native language is Mandarin Chinese and she is fluent in English and French. In her spare time, she is also a graphic designer and loves fashion design and art. She founded and is the co-director of the Fashion and Art Law Institute in China, which is the first academic center providing thought leadership and practical assistance on issues facing the fashion industry in China. She has also been invited to comment and publish articles on hot legal issues in trademark and fashion law issues in both the U.S. and China by leading fashion media, The Trademark Reporter and Chinese IP think tanks.

Sindy was recognized in 2021, 2022 and 2023 as one of the “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch” for Intellectual Property Law by The Best Lawyers in America®. She was recognized as a New York “Rising Star” in 2022 for Intellectual Property by Super Lawyers magazine.

Services
Education

Fordham University School of Law, LL.M., Intellectual Property and Information Technology Law (2013)

Wuhan University School of Law, Wuhan, China, LL.M., Legal Theories (2012)

Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Nanjing, China, Graduate Certificate, International Relations (2011)

Wuhan University School of Law, Wuhan, China, LL.B., Law and French (2010)

Lille II University School of Law, Lille, France, Exchange Program, French and European Law (2009)

Court Admissions

New York (2015)

Professional & Community Activities

New York State Bar Association, Member

New York City Bar Association, Fashion Law Committee, Member

International Trademark Association, Member

The Civil Legal Advice and Resource Office (CLARO), Volunteer Lawyer

Publications

“Sindy Ding-Voorhees Quoted in "4 Intellectual Property Guidelines that are Crucial for Luxury Brands",” Jing Daily, November 26, 2019

“8 Key Takeaways | Trademark Enforcement in China: Power of Precedent,” October 9, 2019

“Trademark Enforcement in China: Power of Precedent,” 2019 Advancement Trademark Law Seminar, September 26, 2019

“Kilpatrick's New York Office is Pro Bono,” September 17, 2019

“Retail Survival in Turbulent Times,” Fashion Law Institute, September 6, 2019

“Anti-Counterfeiting Enforcement in the U.S. and China – Setting Priorities and Allocating Resources,” Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) Webinar, August 14, 2019

“Will Louis Vuitton’s ‘Dad Shoe’ Lawsuit Stomp Out Imitators?,” Jing Daily, May 24, 2019

“Kilpatrick Expands Asian Presence with Strategic Move into Beijing,” January 14, 2019

“How to Use Trademarks to Protect a Brand: with an emphasis on International company’s strategy in trademark enforcement in China,” SINAR MAS GROUP - Asian Pulp and Paper (APP) China, March 17, 2016