LESI President
Ningling Wang is the current serving President of LESI for the term 2026-2027.
Ningling Wang, Managing Partner of Finnegan Shanghai office, has over 20 years of experience in various intellectual property fields. Her practice involves patent prosecution, opinions, due diligence, client counseling, licensing, and patent litigation in the areas of chemicals, chemical engineering, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, semiconductor materials, 3D printing, and nanotechnology.
Ningling has extensive experience working with multinational and Chinese companies, providing legal advice on IP portfolio management, due diligence, licensing, litigation, and trade secret protection and enforcement. She has been involved in various cases before the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) and U.S. district courts. She also has represented companies with IP enforcement in China, including judicial and customs enforcement actions.
Ningling has been recognized by Intellectual Asset Management as a leader in patent transactions in China, as well as for patent prosecution. She was named a top IP strategist in the IAM Strategy 300 list, which identifies individuals who are leading the way in the development and implementation of strategies that maximize the value of IP portfolios. World Intellectual Property Review named Ningling as a WIPR Leader for patents in China.
About LESI
from technical know how and patented inventions to software, copyright and trademarks. It is strictly non-political and is free to grow by the creation of member societies throughout the world irrespective of politics or the state of technology development. LES International has a constitution and by-laws.
First and foremost, LESI consists of the members of its national and regional Member Societies. The Member Societies, in turn, are the “shareholders” of LESI. LESI is governed by a Board of Directors who exercise its executive functions. The Board of Directors is elected by the International Board of Delegates who are themselves appointed by the Member Societies. Finally, LESI has various Management Committees as well as Industry, Professional and regional Committees.
The LESI Membership
All members of LES Member Societies are automatically members of LESI, with all the benefits that come with that membership. Traditionally business-oriented, LESI counts among its 8,500+ members management representatives from companies located all over the globe, ranging from large multinationals to small start-ups. However, LESI is more than that; boasting a membership diverse enough to also include scientists, engineers, academicians, governmental officials, lawyers, patent and trademark attorneys and consultants, LES is a broad community providing its members with access to a unique and varied global business network.
The LESI Board of Directors
LESI is administered by a Board of Directors made up of 9 officers and 2 Legal Co-Counsels. The nine LESI Officers are: the President, the President-Elect, the Immediate Past President, the Secretary, the Treasurer and four Vice-Presidents. The Board exercises the Executive functions of LESI. The Board of Directors is elected by and reports to the Board of Delegates.
The LESI Board of Delegates
The LESI Board of Delegates exercises the administrative functions of LESI. The Board of Delegates are appointed by the 33 LES Member Societies. Each LES Member Society appoints one delegate per 200 members, with a minimum of 2 delegates per Member Society. The Board of Delegates meets twice a year, in the Spring before the LESI Annual Conference and in the Fall usually at the end of the LES USA-Canada Annual Meeting and before the International Meeting.
The LESI Board of Delegates
LESl has a series of Committees to assist it in carrying out it’s various activities and operations. These Committees consists of three types: Industry, Professional and Regional Committees; Management Committees; and Ad Hoc Committees.
The Industry, Professional and Regional Committees are continuing Committees, that is to say, they operate without a fixed term. Their primary functions are to provide LES Conferences, Meetings and Seminars with content relating to their specific industry, aspect of the licensing profession or geographic region. They also provide publications for les Nouvelles and networking opportunities for their members. They are considered as being the “Gateway” to more active participation in LESI for LES Members. Their membership is open to all LES members and participation in their activities by all LES Members is invited and welcome.
The Management Committees are also continuing Committees operating without a fixed term. They deal with LESI administrative and internal operations. Their Membership is appointed by the LESI Board of Directors.
The Ad Hoc Committees are Committees that exist for performing a specific task or duty and exist for a fixed term. They are created to address a specific issue or to achieve a specific goal, such as a publication or a policy position. They are appointed by the LESI Board of Directors and their membership can be limited.
The specific Committees are listed in the front pages of les Nouvelles and more information on them and their various activities and operations can be found by reference to their pages on the LESI Website.
LESI objectives
The formal objectives of LES International, which were adopted more than 20 years ago, are as follows:
• To function as a non-profit professional society encouraging high professional standards among individuals engaged in the transfer and licensing of technology and industrial or intellectual property rights.
• To assist its members in improving their skills and techniques in licensing through self education, the conduct of special studies and research, the sponsorship of educational meetings, the publication of statistics, reports, articles and other material, and the exchange of ideas related to domestic and foreign licensing.
• To inform the public, international bodies, governmental bodies, and the business community concerning the economic significance of licensing and the high professional standards of those engaged in the licensing profession.
• To make available to its members the latest and most accurate information on licensing.
