On December 19, 2011, Beijing No.1 Intermediate People’s Court made out the first instance Judgment (2011) Yi Zhong Zhi Xing Chu Zi No.2461, upholding the Decision on Request for Patent Invalidation No.16607 issued by SIPO’s Patent Reexamination Board (PRB) which declared a cigarette filter patent invalid. Previously, Lifang represented UK-based filter supplier Filtrona Limited in filing the request to invalidate said patent and the request was supported by the PRB. When the patentee appealed the PRB decision, Lifang partners Xie Guanbin and Sun Xi represented Filtrona in the court proceedings as the third party.