GC Summit China: Shanghai 2023

Event information

Date: Tue 14 Nov 2023 Time: 12.30pm-7.00pm Venue: Junior Ballroom, Shanghai Marriott Marquis City Centre 555 Xizang Road (Middle), Huangpu District, Shanghai 200003, China

The Legal 500’s GC Summit China: Shanghai 2023 invites the most esteemed in-house counsel from the country’s most prolific companies, and leading practitioners to discuss their changing roles as in-house leaders and the challenges, issues and opportunities they are set to face in 2023 and beyond.

Between comprehensive panel discussions, presentations and the opportunity to meet and engage with fellow in-house counsel, GC Summit China: Shanghai 2023 promises to be a practical, forward-looking event bringing together the region’s top legal minds.

Agenda

12.30pm – 1.00pm Registration and Refreshments

1.00pm – 1.05pm Opening remarks

Joe Boswell, global editor, The Powerlist Series, The Legal 500
Victor Shen, chief legal officer, Henkel North Asia

1.05pm – 1.35pm Data: from Compliance to Capitalization

At a time when data compliance is at the front and centre of C-Suite responsibilities around the world, Jun Li of Han Kun Law Offices will outline how to navigate these challenges while making the most of opportunities.

Jun Li, partner, Corporate & Compliance, Han Kun Law Offices

1.35pm – 2.05pm Trends, Opportunities, and Challenges in Legal Services for Construction Projects in China

China’s status as a global construction powerhouse is without question, and this session will provide a much-needed overview of the burning legal issues in this critical sector.

Zhou Jigao, managing partner, Shanghai Jianling Chengda Law Firm

2.05pm – 2.55pm Practical guidance on international arbitrations

Dr. Minli Tang will lead Judy Cao, Cheng Wang and Len Ding on a wide-ranging discussion as to the relative merits of arbitration as an international dispute resolution option, as well as strategies and tips for success.

Dr. Minli Tang, partner, Allbright Law Offices
Judy Cao, head of legal & compliance, Greater China & Korea Cordis
Cheng Wang, general counsel, Express (Hangzhou) Technology Company
Len Ding, general counsel, APAC, Kemira

2.55pm – 3.15pm Coffee Break

3.15pm – 3.45pm Presentation: A discussion on legal issues likely to come up in bond disputes cases

A trifecta of expert speakers from Longan Law Firm – Xiuping Pan, Frank Hong and Shawn Qiao – will lend their considerable expertise to the audience on this key topic, many of whom will have been face with bond dispute cases in their day-to-day work in recent years.

Xiuping Pan, director of the financial committee, Longan Law Firm
Frank Hong, chair of cross-border practice, Longan Law firm
Shawn Qiao, managing partner, Longan Law Firm

3.45pm – 4.35pm Managing Internal Investigations

Three key areas exist for internal investigations work: gathering documents; learning what witnesses have to say; and ensuring that the investigation is carried out in such a way as to place the company in the best possible position with the authorities. Getting these needs balanced is no small task, and this panel will see in-house legal personnel join with experts from RICC & Co to evaluate the best courses of action.

Wang Yinping, partner, RICC & CO
Jia Song, chief operating officer, RICC & CO
Nancy Wei, legal director, Tupperware
Gordon Cheng, general counsel, Nanshan Group
Laurel LI XIN, head of legal, Reckitt China

4.35pm – 5.05pm Navigating Complexities: Insights on the Bankruptcy landscape in China for In-house Counsel

W&H Law Firm senior partner Zhou Yiming will share his vast expertise on bankruptcy law in China, at a time of increasing global economic anxiety. A must-attend for in-house lawyers of all levels.

Zhou Yiming, senior partner, W&H Law Firm

5.05pm – 5.10pm Closing remarks

Aaron Shao, area counsel greater China, Abbott
Joe Boswell, global editor, The Powerlist Series, The Legal 500

5.10pm Drinks and canapes

Speakers

Wang Yinping, partner, RICC & CO

Lawyer Wang Yinping has relatively high reputation and influence in the field of anti-fraud. He is the preferred partner lawyer for many enterprises in internal control, anti-fraud, and handling job-related crimes. He is an off-campus graduate supervisor specially appointed by East China University of Political Science and Laws, and a council member of the Social Governance Research Association of the Shanghai Law Society. He co-founded the Internal Control and Anti-Fraud Research Association with the Shanghai Criminal Studies Association and serves as the deputy chairman. Lawyer Wang specializes in providing legal services for enterprises’ internal control and anti-fraud. He does not adhere to the traditional legal service methods, but integrates criminal investigation, digital forensics, and criminal legal practice to solve problems in a comprehensive manner. He is good at obtaining evidence and clues for cases through preliminary investigations, digital forensics, etc., to provide evidence support for civil or criminal cases. At the same time, Lawyer Wang Yinping is also very proficient in organizing evidence for job-related crimes such as job-related embezzlement, as well as criminal litigation legal work. He is especially adept at handling complicated criminal cases of employee fraud.

Dr. Minli Tang, Partner, Allbright Law Offices

Dual qualified in mainland China and in New York State, Minli has practiced in dispute resolution for years (especially in foreign-related matters, including litigation and arbitration). Minli once was a Regional Representative of the International Chamber of Commerce Young Arbitration and ADR Forum (ICC YAAF) and is now a committee member of the Beihai Asia International Arbitration Centre (BAIAC, Singapore), a supporting member of the London Maritime Arbitrators Association (LMAA), on the panel of arbitrators of the Shenzhen International Arbitration Court and the Langfang Arbitration Commission, admitted into the HKIAC List of Arbitrators, and an external master-degree supervisor of the KoGuan Law School, Shanghai Jiaotong University.

Minli has frequently represented clients in Chinese domestic court litigations and participated in the handling of cases in the English High Court and Court of Appeal. Minli has also represented and advised clients in arbitration under the AIAC, CIETAC, HKIAC, ICC, LCIA, SIAC and the China Maritime Arbitration Commission (CMAC) rules as well as under the Terms of the London Maritime Arbitrators Association (LMAA). In addition to her advocacy work, Minli has been involved in advising both domestic and foreign clients on Chinese law and conducted commercial negotiation.

Joe Boswell, global editor, The Powerlist Series, The Legal 500

Joe Boswell has been a part of The Legal 500’s editorial team, specialising on the in-house legal community, for more than seven years. He now heads The Powerlist team, acting as chief editor for the over 40 separate editions of the GC Powerlist series which serve as The Legal 500’s flagship title celebrating the world’s top in-house counsel, as well as Global Editor for The Legal 500’s Private Practice Powerlist Series.

During the course of researching for the GC Powerlist series, Boswell has interviewed a vast number of world-renowned general counsel, chief legal officers, and legal directors about overcoming the challenges they face, their legal innovations, and how they see the general counsel role progressing in coming years. As well as this, he is a regular speaker at Legal 500 summits, roundtables, award ceremonies and other events, and often writes in-depth reports on business and legal issues.

Boswell is an alumnus of both the University of Sussex in The United Kingdom and the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen in The Netherlands.

Meng Tang, senior partner, Joint-Win Partners

Lawyer Tang Meng graduated from East China Institute of Political Science and Law in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in law; and graduated from Fudan University in 2007 with a master’s degree in law.

Lawyer Tang has worked at Shanghai Customs for 18 years, and became one of the first batch of public lawyers of Shanghai Customs in 2003 and one of the first batch of “customs legal experts” of national customs. He once participated in the top-layer design work of multiple projects and reforms, including the revision of the Customs Law in 2000, the regulation and legislation of the Customs Regulations on Commodity Classification Management in 2007 and the drafting and release of a series of systems for the Customs Head Office as well as Shanghai Customs. In reform of customs supervision in the Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone, he was responsible for the reviewing and release of over 20 relevant announcements and operating procedures.

Ever since Meng Tang became a social lawyer in 2016, lawyer Tang has handled various types of legal affairs, including international trade disputes, border IP protection, import and export customs clearance and tax disputes, real estate trading, mortgage and lease contract disputes, a variety of economic crime defense and administrative reconsideration and litigation, and offered legal services for a number of foreign enterprises from the US, Japan, France, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Singapore, Canada and etc. Meanwhile, proficient in settling financial disputes in factoring, trust, futures and many other fields, he can offer comprehensive legal services in interlocked civil, administrative and criminal cases.

Yichen Zhang, partner, Joint-Win Partners

Yichen Zhang mainly handles commercial disputes, including company equity disputes, disputes related to economic contracts, labor disputes and other commercial dispute cases; He has previously worked as an intern in Shanghai Higher People’s Court and has also worked in market management, brand rights protection and administration of state organs.

Zhou Jigao, managing partner, Shanghai Jianling Chengda Law Firm

Over the past 22 years, Mr. Zhou has specialized in construction, real estate, PPP, project dispute settlement, investment and financing, infrastructure, international projects, etc.

As to litigation services, Mr. Zhou has handled more than 600 cases in the fields of construction, real estate, investment and financing, etc. Mr. Zhou has represented a large number of case in Intermediate Courts, High Courts all over China and several famous cases in the Supreme Court. Mr.Zhou has won several cases which were named “first case” in practice in China and thus earned great reputation.

With regard to non-litigation services, Mr. Zhou has provided more than 70 real estate companies (groups) and more than 70 construction enterprises with professional legal services in law of construction and real estate.

Xin Qian, senior partner, Joint-Win Partners

Xiuping Pan, director of the financial committee, Longan Law Firm

Director of the Finance Law Committee at Long An. Mr. Pan, a renowned expert of banking law, is Secretary General of the China Society of Banking Law. Mr. Pan is a Chambers’ ranked lawyer on the “Banking and Finance” list in 2022 and 2023.

Frank Hong, chair of cross-border practice, Longan Law firm

Shawn Qiao, managing partner. Longan Law Firm

Victor Shen, chief legal officer, Henkel North Asia

With over 20 years’ experience in multinational corporations’ legal affairs, management and compliance, Victor Shen used to work in a Hong Kong red-chip mobile communication company, a multi-national cosmetics company, and a world-class retail conglomerate, which made him possess rich business knowledge and a sharp sense of different industries and legal practices. Shen has worked at Henkel for over 13 years, during which he has led his team handled numerous complicated legal affairs and projects in cross-border restructuring, divesture, M&A, labour, anti-trust, tax, customs, dispute resolution, government affairs, compliance and corporate governance. Victor’s performances obtained a high recognition from the Headquarters’ management, and he was elected as one of the Top General Counsel in 2015 by Asia Legal Business of Thomson Reuters and ranked one of GC Influencer of Greater China by Chambers in 2018 and 2019 as well as GC Power-list by Legal 500 for years. Victor’s current practices and interests concentrate on the area of foreign direct investment, anti-trust, M&A, tax law, compliance and corporate law. Victor is also a best selling author with his book “General Counsel’s Playbook – A Cluster of Corporate Law and Compliance’s Stratagems” (published in 2023).

Judy Cao, head of legal & compliance, Greater China & Korea Cordis

Judy Cao is a highly accomplished legal & compliance professional with a rich and diverse career spanning across various multinational organizations. She was heading the China Legal & Compliance team within Cardinal Health before Cordis was separated from Cardinal Health. Prior to Cordis/Cardinal Health, Judy served as the Head of Legal at Sandoz China (previously one division of Novartis) 2017 and 2020. Prior to her role at Sandoz, Judy was serving Sanofi Group in Shanghai, where she supported APAC R&D hub as well as all global functions in China partnering with relevant internal stakeholders to meet evolving business needs. She was a practicing lawyer before 2009.

Jun Li, partner, Han Kun Law Firm

Ms. Li has been practicing law since 2003. Before joining Han Kun, Ms. Li was of counsel with another leading Chinese law firm and worked for seven years in the China practice groups of several pre-eminent international law firms. She also previously served for three years as an in-house general counsel for two investment funds.

Ms. Li’s primary practice areas are domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, direct investment, and general corporate matters. She has represented many foreign clients in cross-border transactions and investments involving China, including greenfield investments and acquisitions. Ms. Li has advised numerous clients, including multinationals and start-ups, on their major initiatives as well as daily operations. She also routinely advises Chinese clients on their domestic and outbound transactions and has extensive experience in onshore and offshore structures and formalities. She represents clients from a wide range of industries such as e-commerce, education, clean energy, FMCG, information technology, hospitality, entertainment, and a variety of manufacturing.

Zhou Yiming, senior partner, W&H Law Firm

Mr. Zhou Yiming, senior partner of W&H Law Firm (Shanghai), is the head of the Non-performing Asset Disposal and Corporate Bankruptcy Reorganization Department. He provides legal counsel services for government, state-owned enterprises, foreign-invested enterprises, etc. He engages in the areas of commercial dispute resolution, corporate affairs, bankruptcy liquidation and restructuring. Mr. Zhou was named as “Excellent Litigation Lawyer of Changning District (Shanghai)” and “Excellent Lawyer of Changning District (Shanghai)”. Currently, Mr. Zhou works as an arbitrator in the arbitration institutions of Shanghai, Jiangsu Province, and Zhejiang Province.

Jia Song, chief operating officer, RICC & CO

宋佳，华东政法大学国际法学院毕业，法学学士学位。现为上海星瀚律师事务所合伙人（COO）。

星瀚运营体系职能涵盖：市场、人事、财务、行政、法务秘书等，运营合伙人负责统筹协调相关职能，并与星瀚业务体系全面协同。

Cheng Wang, general counsel, Express (Hangzhou) Technology Company

Cheng Wang is the General Counsel of Express (Hangzhou) Technology Company Limited, a joint venture of American Express that was licensed by the People’s Bank of China as the first foreign-owned bankcard clearing and settlement institution in China. As a member of the senior management team of the firm, Cheng heads the Legal function of Express Company and oversees legal and regulatory matters in its business operations. Prior to joining American Express, Cheng was the Head of Legal for Greater China of a top-tier international investment bank. Cheng is admitted to the bar of the State of New York and qualified as a lawyer in China. He is currently the chair of the In-House Counsel Subcommittee of the AmCham Shanghai Legal Committee and a member of the Special Committee of the Shanghai Bar Association.

Nancy Wei, legal director, Tupperware

Nancy Wei has been legal director of Tupperware China since 2020. In charge of legal and compliance issues, including contract management, dispute resolution and litigation, company seal management, employment compliance and anti-fraud, anti-unfair competition committee, data privacy and protection compliance, she started her legal career in 2004. Wei has worked at both law firms and foreign invested companies, including domestic Chinese law firms, reputable international law firms – including Mayer Brown, Stephenson Harwood – and for international brands such as the French food & beverage brand Danone, US footwear & apparel brand Skechers, US household brand Tupperware. She has been in a management position at Tupperware China, with the position of legal representative and chair of the board of Tupperware China, since September 2022.

Len Ding, general counsel, APAC, Kemira

A seasoned legal professional, Len Ding’s prolific career spans over two decades in corporate law and international business. Ding commenced his professional journey at Philips Semiconductor Corporation in Shanghai, followed closely by a role with Simmons & Simmons’ Shanghai Office. The year 2002 saw him move in-house with Michelin China Group as a Senior Legal Counsel and he never looked back, taking on in-house legal positions from here on in. His first legal director role came with ArcelorMittal Group from 2005 to 2009, where he contributed significantly to the Group’s legal strategies while expertly navigating the complex legal framework governing the steel industry. Subsequently Ding served as the Legal Director for Stora Enso in China for five years before moving to his current home at Kemira. The company’s Group General Counsel for the APAC region since 2014, time and again Ding showcases exemplary leadership and expertise in overseeing legal matters within a multinational corporation, solidifying his reputation as one of the top GCs in the region.

Gordon Cheng, general counsel, Nanshan Group

Gordon Cheng is a legal director of Nanshan Group and a legal consulting expert in Longkou City. A practicing lawyer in New York, New Jersey, Indiana and Illinois, a practicing lawyer in the United Kingdom, a Chinese company lawyer, a mediator of the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission, an arbitrator of the Shanghai International Arbitration Center, and an arbitrator of the Yantai Arbitration Commission. Cheng is responsible for the legal affairs and compliance work of Nanshan Group, and has many years of experience in the management of legal affairs of multinational companies. He has led the Nanshan legal team to participate in many overseas or domestic listings, reorganisations, mergers and acquisitions, overseas investment business, and antitrust matters.

程广栋，美国凯斯西储大学法学博士，南山集团法务总监，龙口市法律咨询专家。美国纽约州、新泽西州、印第安纳州、伊利诺伊州执业律师、英国执业律师、中国公司律师，中国国际经济贸易仲裁委员会调解员、上海国际仲裁中心仲裁员、烟台仲裁委员会仲裁员。程广栋先生现任南山集团法务总监，负责南山集团的法务、合规工作，具有多年跨国公司法律事务管理经验，曾经带领团队参与了多起海外或国内的上市，重组，并购，海外投资业务，反垄断，合规以及争议解决业务。