LES Singapore Intermediate Licensing Course 2025

MJ is Senior IP Legal Counsel of Lenovo Limited, the world’s largest PC manufacturer and a Fortune 500 company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. MJ manages Lenovo’s patents relating to inventions from Asia Pacific, which involves working closely with inventors and supervising outside counsel in the drafting and prosecution of patent applications that are filed internationally, but more particularly in the United States, China and Europe. Serving as a key role within the Lenovo IP Group in bridging the teams in China and the US, MJ also facilitates communication across the different teams to bring about conception and fruition of ideas and strategies. Additionally MJ is intimately involved with patent assertion and licensing matters, as well as patent acquisition deals for Lenovo. 

Before joining Lenovo, MJ was IP Counsel of a leading global supplier of wafer assembly and packaging equipment for the semiconductor industry. In that capacity, MJ was responsible for the company’s IP portfolio, including obtaining patent and trademark registrations for the company. He also advised the company on IP strategy and issues such as IP ownership and infringement, and handled patent assertion and enforcement matters. 

MJ began his IP career as a patent attorney with a leading UK patent firm in Singapore, where he gained broad expertise in a wide range of mechanical and electrical subject matters through working with individual inventors and multinational corporations to secure patent protection, as well as considerable experience in drafting and prosecuting patent applications worldwide. The Association of Singapore Patent Attorneys (ASPA) awarded MJ with the ASPA Book Prize in 2009 for best performance in the Singapore Patent Agent Qualifying Examinations. 

In addition to being a Registered Singapore Patent Attorney, MJ is a Registered UK Patent Attorney and is a member of ASPA and the Licensing Executives Society (Singapore). He is also a Fellow of The Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA) based in the UK. MJ obtained a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) degree in Electrical Engineering from the National University of Singapore and a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) degree from the University of London.

Sharon is a Senior Assistant Director in the Technology Business Development Departments of A*STAR Skin Research Labs and Skin Research Institute of Singapore.

She has close to 30 years of experience in healthcare and personal care industry. Her expertise is mainly in healthcare, personal data protection and research compliance, IP management, research management, fund management, legislation planning and drafting.

She has worked in spin-off companies, healthcare clusters, private diagnostics company, research institutes, and government ministry. She has also been conducting IP related training in institution of higher learning and in government organizations.

Sharon is trained in molecular and cell biology, environmental engineering and law.

Chiew Yu Sarn is a founding partner and Head of the Corporate and Commercial Department of Yusarn Audrey. Yu Sarn is an Advocate & Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore, and is also entered into the rolls as a Solicitor, England and Wales.

Experience / Areas of Practice

Yu Sarn has had 30 years of experience in corporate and commercial law, capital markets law, and intellectual property, with a specific focus on the commercialisation of intellectual property and the provision of IP-related transactional advice.  

His practice includes IP licensing, IP acquisitions and sales, IP financing, technology and IP-driven mergers and acquisitions, venture capital and private equity, capital markets advisory, franchising, media and entertainment, financial technology, digital asset offerings, joint ventures and strategic alliances, R&D agreements, manufacturing, distribution and supply chain management.

In his strategic IP consultancy work, Yu Sarn advises companies, institutions and government agencies on IP strategic planning and IP governance and policy and helps his clients enhance their in-house IP management capabilities through training and coaching.  He also advises companies on raising capital and financing using their IP.  This work includes preparing companies for capital raising through IP audits.  He has also performed pre-investment IP due diligence investigations on behalf of private equity investors.

The clients he has served include technology companies in areas such as Web3, software, wireless technology, robotics, and healthcare, as well as venture capital and private equity fund managers, statutory boards, hospitals, multinational corporations, foreign and local law firms and internationally renowned authors and speakers.

In recognition of his experience and expertise in the field of IP licensing and commercialisation, Yu Sarn was accredited as a Certified Licensing Professional (CLP) by Certified Licensing Professionals, Inc., an independent, worldwide non-profit organization tasked with maintaining internationally applicable standards, ethics, and excellence in the field of licensing. 

From 2019 through 2025, Yu Sarn was recognised in the IAM Strategy 300 list of the world’s leading IP strategists.  IAM says: “When it comes to developing IP business models for expansion into China and globally, few do it better than Yu Sarn Chiew.  Creative and thorough, he is a brilliant strategist who excels at innovating ways to raise capital using IP rights.”

Yu Sarn has served as an Independent Director of a SGX-listed company for five years and is a Senior Accredited Board Director and a member of the Singapore Institute of Directors.

George Hwang is the Founder and Director of George Hwang LLC, a boutique practice dedicated to Intellectual Property, Information Technology and Media Law. For more than two decades he has acted across the full IP lifecycle - from protection, acquisition to commercialisation; and in high-stakes litigation, including appearing before Singapore Court of Appeal in landmark cases.

George’s recent work sits squarely at the intersection of copyright and artificial intelligence. He advises clients on implications relating to digital transition and crafts Standard Operating Procedures for use of Generative AI.

His commentaries and talks on AI regulations and text-and-data mining exceptions reflect his thought leadership on how copyright frameworks must evolve for AI-driven innovation.

A prolific writer and speaker, George has:

•        Presented papers on copyright in a digital economy to the WIPO Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights.

•        Served as an international speaker and trainer for WIPO Academy’s capacity-building programmes.

•        Lectured on IP, media and business law at University of West Indies, Varna University of Economics, National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University and IPOS International.

•        Authored chapters for books and published articles in refereed international legal journals.

George is the Chair of the Copyright Committee, Licensing Executives Society International (LESI), and Content Partner for Lexis Practical Guidance – IP/IT: Corporate & Finance. He is fluent in English and has working a knowledge of French. George combines deep legal knowledge with commercial acumen to deliver clear, strategic solutions in today’s AI-driven information society.

Geraldine Tan is a Director at Amica Law LLC, where she co-heads the Technology and Licensing practice group and specialises in intellectual property (IP) and technology contracts and transactions.  

With over 15 years of experience, Geraldine advises companies, statutory boards and academic institutions on a wide range of IP, technology and commercial matters.  Her expertise spans licensing and franchising deals, technology transfers, software and technology procurement, implementation and outsourcing projects, research and collaboration agreements, data protection, and supply and distribution arrangements. 

She has worked with clients across diverse sectors including information technology, financial services, food and beverage, hospitality, retail, entertainment, media and healthcare. From shaping IP strategy to structuring and negotiating deals, Geraldine has led clients in maximising the value of their IP assets to drive growth in Singapore and beyond. 

Beyond IP transactions, Geraldine has extensive experience advising on cross-border technology and payment systems projects. Notably, she was involved in the establishment and negotiation of the legal infrastructure and documentation for real-time cross-border payment corridors between Singapore and Thailand, India and Malaysia. 

Geraldine is a member of the Licensing Executives Society (Singapore) and holds a Certified Information Privacy Professional/Asia (CIPP/A) qualification.