Mr Benjamin Miao > Fangda Partners > Shanghai, China > Lawyer Profile

Fangda Partners‘ international arbitration team stands out for greater China disputes and is one of the few Chinese law firms active in complex and high-value arbitrations inside and outside China involving Chinese elements. The group is led in mainland China by Nuo Ji, Benjamin Miao and Daniel Huang in Shanghai and Ming Kang and Helen Shi in Beijing. While in Hong Kong Peter Yuen, Olga Boltenko (who is noted for investor-state disputes) and energy sector expert Matthew Townsend are key contacts.

Fangda Partners has substantial on-the-ground capabilities across China and continues to grow; of recent note, the firm established additional presence in Nanjing, where a dedicated team of consultants assists the compliance and regulatory group with more demanding projects such as due diligence assignments and extensive internal investigations. The practice handles a full scope of compliance and regulatory issues of contentious and non-contentious nature; it has an outstanding track record of serving as lead counsel to large multinational and Chinese companies, most recently in relation to internal investigations into allegations of fraud, among other matters. Multi-jurisdictional work is another area of strength for the team, which it assists domestic and global corporate clients navigate the regulatory regimes in foreign jurisdictions such as the US. Shenzhen-based Benjamin Miao jointly leads the practice with Kate Yin, who splits her time between Beijing and Shenzhen. Other key contacts include Derrick Zhao (‘hardworking and responsive’) in Shanghai and Yanjun Zhuang in Beijing. Melody Wang departed in January 2021.

With offices in Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Shenzhen, Fangda Partners is able to provide a first-class service to clients across the PRC region, while also collaborating with its Hong Kong Office. With a client base that spans private companies, funds, state-owned enterprises and individuals, the firm is regularly instructed on high-value disputes. As a recent example, the team represented China Life Asset Management Co in a $400m dispute relating to the purchase of bonds. The group houses a number of specialised partners that collectively provide a full-service contentious offering: Daniel Huang focuses on disputes relating to international trade and IP; Ji Nuo handles issues relating to construction and bankruptcy; and Allan Chen is experienced in the financial services sector. Helen Shi, Ming Kang and Benjamin Miao are other names to note.

Fangda Partners‘ dispute resolution team is first class and is as capable in arbitration as it is in court proceedings. The group has vast experience handling disputes on behalf of multinationals and large domestic companies before a number of arbitration centres; at a domestic level, this includes CIETAC and BAC, while internationally examples include the ICC, HKIAC, SIAC and LCI. Nuo Ji, Benjamin Miao and Daniel Huang lead the Shanghai department, with the Beijing office, which includes promising junior partner Yanhua Lin, being headed by Ming Kang and Helen Shi. At the associate level, Yang Liu has experience in both domestic and international arbitration proceedings in the energy, real estate, international trade and technology sectors.