John has many years of professional experience counseling clients on their investment projects, commercial ventures, employment, litigation, and intellectual-property and technology matters, both within the Asia region and on both sides of the Strait in Greater China. John is a trusted problem solver for companies, as in the Greater China context, clients’ investments, technologies, brands, employment relations, commercial and litigation needs often intersect. He has also worked with significant high-net-worth individuals on unique matters involving their tax, investment, reputational and other matters. John is a noted expert on compliance issues, including the handling of data-protection and cybersecurity matters, as well as U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and other white-collar crime matters, from employee training through to proper handling of investigations and responses.
As a senior partner of Eiger’s Greater China Practice, John has headed up the firm’s intellectual-property and technology practice for the past several years, assisting clients with trademark, patent, copyright and trade-secret matters. In John’s role chairing the European Chamber of Commerce Taiwan (ECCT) Intellectual Property Rights Committee for the past many years, he has worked closely with the European Commission, U.S. State Department, prominent academics and local government authorities on intellectual-property policy matters. John regularly speaks on IPR, tax, employment and data-protection issues at conferences. He has been ranked as one of Taiwan’s Top 100 lawyers by Asia Business Law Journal.
Admitted to the Ohio (U.S.) Bar in 1997
Registered foreign lawyer in Taiwan
EDUCATION
Beijing University (visiting scholar)
Case Western Reserve University (J.D.)
University of Missouri (B.J.)
PRACTICE
Founding Partner of Eiger since 2008
Wenger & Vieli/Wenfei in Taipei, 2003-2008
Law firms in Cleveland and Taipei
LANGUAGES
English, Chinese
PREFERRED AREAS OF PRACTICE
Competition & Antitrust, Compliance, Corporate & Investment, Digital Economy, Employment, Energy & Environment, Health & Life Sciences, Intellectual Property, Litigation & Arbitration, Media & Entertainment, Private Clients, Real Estate, Tax, White Collar/Investigations
OTHER
Since 2023: Board of Directors of the European Chamber of Commerce Taiwan
Since 2022: Member of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce Taipei
Since 2020: Member of the Swiss Association Taiwan
Since 2020: Member of the Concilium Network
Since 2020: Member of Privacy Rules
Since 2012: Member of the International Association of Entertainment Lawyers (IAEL)
Since 2009: Arbitrator of the Arbitration Society of Taiwan, R.O.C.
Since 2008: Member of the British Chamber of Commerce in Taipei (Board member from 2008-2010 and 2022-present)
Since 2007: Member of the International Bar Association (IBA)
2006: Board Member of the Canadian Society
Since 2001: Chair of the IPR Committee of the European Chamber of Commerce Taiwan
Since 2000: Member of the American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan
