Yan Chen, Vice President, Chief Compliance Officer, and General Counsel of KE Holdings Inc. (Beike Group), oversees legal and compliance affairs for China’s leading integrated online and offline platform for housing transactions and services. He was formerly a partner at Freshfields prior to joining Beike and practised at several other leading international law firms.

With nearly seven years of experience as a senior in-house legal leader, Yan Chen has built a reputation for driving complex transactions, advancing regulatory innovation, and building high-performing legal teams. His expertise spans capital markets, corporate governance, private equity, and M&A transactions. He also has extensive knowledge and experience in data compliance, dispute resolution, competition compliance, and legal technology.

In previous years, Yan Chen led his team to complete the company restructuring in 2018, private financing in 2019, and the landmark listing of Beike on the New York Stock Exchange in 2020. Under his leadership, Beike became the first residential service platform in China to achieve dual ISO certifications (ISO/IEC 27001 and 27701) in 2020, establishing industry benchmarks for data security and privacy management. He also played a pivotal role in guiding Beike through its dual-primary listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2022, skillfully navigating regulatory challenges and stabilising Beike’s governance structure amid evolving U.S.–China capital market dynamics.

A forward-thinking legal leader, Yan Chen has been instrumental in promoting legal digital transformation within Beike. He initiated the development of a comprehensive legal management system, integrating tools to enhance operational efficiency and risk oversight. His efforts have transformed the legal function from a support role into a strategic partner capable of enabling business growth while ensuring robust compliance.

Yan Chen is also an active contributor to industry and policy development. He was invited to speak at the 2023 China Internet Governance Conference, where he delivered insights on platform rule transparency and fair competition. He led his team to collaborate with China Consumers Magazine and the People’s Mediation Committee of the China Interior Decoration Association to jointly release the ‘2024 Home Furnishing Industry Consumer Avoidance Report,’ providing practical guidance for reducing consumer risks and improving industry standards.

Committed to team excellence, Yan Chen has built and mentored a legal and compliance team recognised with awards such as the China Business Law Journal’s Data Protection Team Award (2019) and ALB China’s Top 15 In-House Teams (2020). He was also named to the ALB General Counsel Profiles 2021. His career reflects a unique blend of strategic vision, operational excellence, and a deep commitment to ethical business practices.

Yan Chen received a Bachelor of Laws from Renmin University of China, a Master of Laws from Cornell Law School, and a Juris Doctor degree from Northwestern Law School of Lewis and Clark University, where he was recognised on the Dean’s List as a scholar. He is qualified to practise law in New York.