Fortune 500 Legal Intern, Former Law Clerk in Shanghai, China,
Brings Knowledge, Familiarity to Assist International Clients
The AmLaw 200 and NLJ 500 law firm of Adams and Reese continues to grow its Global Intellectual Property practice with the addition of Haodong Zhong in our Nashville office.
Haodong will graduate this spring from Fordham University School of Law. He will sit for the bar in July and, upon passing, be admitted to practice in the State of Tennessee, joining Adams and Reese as an Associate.
Bilingual and fluent in Mandarin, Haodong will assist IP attorneys in working with domestic clients interested in doing business in China and assist Chinese-based businesses looking to expand their services within the United States.
Haodong currently works as a legal intern in the New York office of Fortune 500 company Tapestry, the holding company of Coach, Kate Spade, and Stuart Weitzman. He was a legal intern in Shanghai, China, where he worked for the IP group at a leading American law firm. Haodong also interned for a boutique IP law firm in California where he focused on design patent matters.
“Haodong will be a valuable connection and communication bridge to our IP client base doing business both internationally and domestically,” said Mitch Boult, Adams and Reese Executive Committee Member and veteran IP attorney. “Outside of his early knowledge and understanding of how IP laws contrast in differing jurisdictions, just Haodong’s ability to translate documents, laws, contracts for Chinese business owners, and communicate their needs to anyone they’re negotiating with, will be an important client resource.”
Mitch recently got a chance to visit with Haodong in a Q&A interview to welcome him to Adams and Reese.
“I have always loved Nashville since I started my undergrad program at Vanderbilt,” said Haodong, who earned a B.A. and majored in three degrees – Mathematics, Economics, and Philosophy. “I know that this city fits my long-term goal for my future law practice. I always wanted to return to Nashville and practice for a top, national law firm that has a global IP practice, and it’s hard to find a better firm than Adams and Reese.”
At Tapestry, Haodong assists the legal office, researching and studying issues from trademarks and patents to copyrights and contracts with influencers on Instagram and TikTok. “I'm very fortunate to work in New York for three of the most iconic brands in the fashion industry,” he said. “Not only do I need to understand the laws in the markets we operate, but also how to communicate those laws to our business teams and designers on how legal issues affect their operations. I have gained valuable experience on issues such as anti-counterfeiting, brand protections, California Consumer Privacy Act, and the INFORM Consumers Act.”
Haodong serves as an Associate Competition Editor for the Fordham Law Moot Court Board at Fordham University School of Law, where he coaches students in First Amendment and Intellectual Property Law competitions. Prior to this role, he participated in the Prince Evidence Competition. Additionally, he holds the position of Notes and Articles Editor at the Fordham Environmental Law Review and is an active member of both the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association and the Fordham Tax Law Society.
Haodong served as a judicial intern in the Southern District of New York. Prior to that, he interned at the New York City Law Department and Brooklyn District Attorney’s office. “I am very proud to serve the community while gaining substantive lawyering skills.” he said.
At Vanderbilt University, graduating in 2020, magna cum laude, Haodong received the Shirley Lachs Award for the Best Graduating Philosophy Major Going to Law School.