Ella is one of Asia's best known IP lawyers. She was a precedent partner at one of Hong Kong's oldest law firms, having founded its IP department, and was also co-founder of a leading IP boutique legal firm in Singapore.

Ella also set up her own office, ELLA CHEONG (HK), which she runs concurrently with the Singapore practice, for IP issues in Hong Kong SAR, People's Republic of China (PRC) and Macau SAR. She has served as a member of the Board of Directors of INTA, and has participated in many of INTA's committees. She is Chairman of the group comprising independent members of the Association Internationale pour la Protection de la Propriete Industrielle (AIPPI) from around the world, representing them on the Council of Presidents and the Executive Committee of AIPPI, and received its Award of Merit. She sat on the Council of FICPI and she has now been elected a Member of Honour of FICPI.

Ella has featured in numerous publications (including “Who’s Who in the World”, “Who’s Who of Professionals” and various other "Who's Who") as a leading professional and practitioner in each and every aspect of IP and was listed as one of the world's top 20 trade mark law practitioners in "The Best of the Best". She was nominated to the ABI International Directory of Distinguished Leadership Hall of Fame and featured in 2000 Outstanding Intellectuals of the 21st Century, as well as being awarded the HK Outstanding Women Entrepreneurs Award 2002. She received Matsushita’s Panasonic Gold Award of Merit for Contribution to Protection of IP Rights 2004.