China and Hong Kong 2017 – GC Powerlist
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China and Hong Kong 2017

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Aaron Shao

Area lead counsel, China | Abbott Laboratories

Beginning his legal career working on foreign direct investment initiatives in the Shanghai Free Trade Zone, Aaron Shao built on this valuable experience by progressing to a rewarding career in...

Albert Wang

General counsel Asia Pacific | 3M, China

Albert Wang’s extensive experience in both private practice and in-house roles allows him to bring an almost unparalleled body of knowledge to bear to his role as general counsel of...

Alex Zhouzhang Chen

General counsel | Sinopec International Exploration and Production (SIPC), China

With a varied career that has seen him take on a number of interesting roles, Alex Chen has been general counsel of Sinopec International Petroleum Exploration and Production Corporation (SIPC)...

Alice Chan

General counsel | Prudential Corporation Asia, Hong Kong

Alice Chan’s career is notable for encompassing three branches of legal work: private practice, academia and in-house. Chan enjoyed a successful private practice career culminating in a corporate partner role...

Allen Zhou

Vice president and general counsel - Greater China | Schneider Electric, China

French multinational energy management company Schneider Electric has had operations in China since 1987 and has invested over RMB 3bn in that period. Allen Zhou joined the company in 2009...

Ally Li

General counsel | Estee Lauder China

Over the course of her career, Ally Li has spent seven years in the private practice and two decades in-house. As such, she has a wealth of experience to draw...

Andrew Ning

Head of legal | China Construction Bank (CCB) International

Financials

Andrew Ning’s 15-year private practice career has given him the technical knowledge and experience to make him a financial services specialist. His external counsel career saw him giving advice on...

Angie Au-Yong

Vice president and regional general counsel international | Citrix Systems Hong Kong

With a ‘long and stable’ career that has seen her operate at the highest levels of both private practice and in-house advice, Angie Au-Yong is able to draw from the...

Ashley Howlett

General counsel and legal director | Gammon Construction

Ashley Howlett’s career in private practice saw him live and work in Auckland, London, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Hong Kong and Beijing and ascend to the very top of the profession...

Bella Chhoa

Company secretary, general counsel and assistant director | Hang Lung Group, Hong Kong

Bella Peck Lim Chhoa has spent five years as assistant director – corporate affairs, general counsel and company secretary at Hong Kong-based property company Hang Lung. In this role she...

Ben Hamilton

Head of legal, Asia | ANZ Bank, Hong Kong

Financials

Ben Hamilton joined the Hong Kong offices of Australian bank ANZ as head of legal in May 2012 and has since worked hard at ‘changing cultures and approaches to legal...

Bin Zhao

Senior vice president, legal and government affairs | Qualcomm Wireless Communication Technologies (China)

Since joining the Chinese arm of Qualcomm, a US multinational semiconductor and telecommunications equipment company that is the world’s largest mobile chip maker, Bin Zhao has become known in the...

Bobby Ladwa

Director of banking legal | Barclays, Hong Kong

Financials

Bobby Ladwa began his legal career at Clifford Chance in London, spending 12 years in the firm’s capital markets practice. Through various secondments in Hong Kong, Singapore and Dubai Ladwa...

Brent Irvin

Vice president and general counsel | Tencent Holdings, China

Brent Irvin is one of the best-known GCs in China, and is often featured in the industry and commercial press for his interesting and highly successful approach to legal and...

Brian Downie

General manager - legal (operations and growth business) | MTR, Hong Kong

Reporting in to overall legal director Gill Meller, general manager – legal (operations and growth business) Brian Downie is responsible for MTR’s operations and growth legal department. The company’s legal...

Cao Hui

Head of legal affairs | Silk Road Fund, China

Established in December 2014, Silk Road Fund is a $40bn state-owned fund that invests under China’s new strategic initiatives, namely the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road...

Catherine Wang

General counsel | DSM China

Having begun trading in China in 1963, the Dutch multinational life and materials science company DSM now employs over 4,000 people in the country and has sales of over $2bn....

Chen Wei

Executive vice president, general counsel and compliance officer | China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC)

China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) differs from China’s other two national oil concerns – China National Petroleum Corporation (owner of PetroChina) and China Petrochemical Corporation (Sinopec) – in its...

Chenyang Xie

Board member, vice president and general counsel | Tiens Group, China

Since joining Tiens Group, an international conglomerate that develops a diverse range of healthcare products, in 2012 Dr. Chenyang Xie has played an integral role in the company’s most significant...

Christine Dekker

Vice president and general counsel | McDonald's China

Unsurprisingly given the country’s massive customer base and rapidly growing economy, fast food giant McDonald’s has built a significant presence in China since opening its first restaurant in 1990. The...

Cuijun Shi

Vice president and general counsel | Total China

Total, a French oil and gas multinational that produces, refines and markets oil and petrochemicals, has been established in China for over 35 years, now has 4,350 employees and operates...

Daniel Liu

Head of legal | Standard Chartered Bank (China)

Financials

With roots dating back to 1858, Standard Chartered is the oldest foreign bank in China. The relationship looks set to continue, with the group’s recently appointed global chief executive Bill...

David Simmonds

Group general counsel and chief administrative officer | CLP, Hong Kong

Despite qualifying at a top-tier Australian-based law firm, David Simmonds explains that he ‘always had the mind set for going in-house’, a path that began upon his receiving dual law...

Denise Ho

Head of legal, Asia Pacific (excluding China) | Tesla Motors, Hong Kong

In a number of ways, Denise Ho’s background made her an ideal candidate to set up the legal function for Tesla’s operations in Hong Kong. Firstly, although she always coveted...

Derek Chan

Head of legal and compliance - Hong Kong branch | Agricultural Bank of China

Financials

A financial legal specialist, Derek Chan completed his education at the University of Hong Kong, where he received LLB, PCLL and LLM qualifications. His career since has been extensive and...

Derek Göbel

Regional general counsel, Asia Pacific | BNP Paribas, Hong Kong

Having worked at French multinational bank and financial services company BNP Paribas since 1997, Derek Göbel has learnt first-hand from the Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s. Indeed Göbel...

Edith Shih

Head group general counsel and company secretary | CK Hutchison Holdings, Hong Kong

With more than 260,000 employees worldwide and business interests in 52 countries, CK Hutchison Holdings became Hong Kong’s largest conglomerate after the merger of Cheung Kong Holdings and its main...

Feng Liqiong

General counsel | BOE Technology Group, China

Founded in April 1993, BOE Technology is a supplier of “internet of things” technologies, products and services with three core business groups: display devices, smart systems and health services. Feng...

Fiona Callanan-Thorsby

Assistant general counsel | Bank of America, Hong Kong

Financials

After spending time as an associate at London-based Watson, Farley & Williams, Fiona Callanan-Thorsby took the opportunity to move to Hong Kong as an associate with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in...

Fu Tong

General counsel and vice president | Qihoo 360 Technology, China

China’s biggest internet security company, Qihoo 360 Technology specialises in antivirus software but is also known for its web browser service and mobile application store. Joining the company in 2010,...

Gangliang Qiao

Vice president and general counsel, Asia Pacific | Danaher Corporation, China

Gangliang Qiao’s previous career provided him with the ideal tools to undertake his role as general counsel at international science and technology company Danaher Corporation. After a series of impressive...

Gerard Willis

Vice president and general counsel Asia Pacific | Honeywell, China

A large global conglomerate with an extremely diversified portfolio of interests, Honeywell is perhaps most notable for its high tech solutions for the engineering, defence and aerospace sectors. The company’s...

Gill Meller

Legal and European business director | MTR, Hong Kong

As legal and European business director of MTR, Gill Meller bears ultimate responsibility for one of the most diverse and complex in-house legal portfolios in Hong Kong. On top of...

Gu Ya Jing

Head of legal | BNP Paribas (China)

Known as a banking specialist, Gu Ya Jing has been head of the PRC legal team at BNP Paribas since 2005. Throughout her career Ya Jing believes that she has...

Guo Jinping

General manager, general counsel and director - legal | China National Petroleum Corporation

A member of China’s “big three” oil and gas producers along with China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) and Sinopec, China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) is the largest integrated energy...

Guo Junxiu

General counsel | China Eastern Air Holding Company

With a fleet size approaching 500 aircrafts, China Eastern Airlines is one of the largest airlines in the world, operating extensive services both domestically and internationally. Guo Junxiu, general counsel...

Ho Chau

Chief legal officer and company secretary | WH Group (Shuanghui), China

A giant meat processing company with impressive credentials including being the largest pork producer in the world, Shanghui, also known as WH Group and Shineway in English speaking countries, is...

Hongmei Jiang

General counsel | Shaanxi Motor Holding Group, China

Shaanxi Motor Holding Group’s core business is heavy vehicle manufacturing, with bus and truck production making up the majority of their output. On the back of its success in this...

Huandong Gao

Vice president, legal and general counsel | Walmart eCommerce & Yihaodian, China

Huandong Gao is highly experienced at heading legal teams, having first done so over a decade ago at international delivery company DHL. From his first leadership role with DHL, Gao...

Iris Kwok

Head of legal and compliance department | Shanghai Pudong Development Bank

Financials

Shanghai Pudong Development Bank (SPDB) began operations in 1993 as a commercial bank tasked with helping to develop the Shanghai economy to global financial centre status. With 2015 asets under...

Jaimie Cheung

Director and associate general counsel, Asia | Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (Asia), Hong Kong

Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP) is a major global institutional investor, with the Asia Pacific region receiving around $14bn of their investments to date. Jaimie Cheung, in her role as...

Jeffrey Alam

Group general counsel | Noble Group, Hong Kong

Noble Group is one of the largest commodities traders in the world and is a regular member of the Fortune global 500 rankings. With 2015 revenue of $67bn, headquarters in...

Jeffrey King

General manager of legal department | Taikang Life Insurance, China

Insurance

Jeffrey King made an immediate impact at Taikang Life Insurance, the ninth largest life insurer by premium income in China, when he took on the role of general manager of...

Jerry Xia

Deputy general counsel and chief intellectual property counsel – Asia Pacific | Honeywell, China

Jerry Xia is deputy general counsel and chief intellectual property (IP) counsel – Asia Pacific at Honeywell, a US conglomerate with almost $40bn in global revenue. In this role, Xia...

Joanne Low

General counsel, head of legal and compliance | RRJ Capital, Hong Kong

Joanne Low identifies joining RRJ Management (HK), an investment firm with almost $11bn assets under management, in 2013 as one of the highlights of her career because of the exposure...

John Kajander

General counsel | Shanghai General Motors

John Kajander has held a number of roles atypical for a legal professional. He has previously served as Brigade Chief of Operations in the United States armed forces reserves and...

John Sullivan

Vice president and assistant general counsel | Texas Instruments Incorporated, China

One of the world’s largest semiconductor companies, Texas Instruments (TI) began operating in China in 1986 and works closely with many large domestic manufacturers to improve the core technology of...

Jonathan Collins

General counsel and head of risk and compliance | Jardine Lloyd Thompson Asia

After seven years in private practice with Gouldens Solicitors (now known as Jones Day), during which time he established their representative office in Hong Kong, Jonathan Collins moved in-house to...

Kai Wang

Vice president, legal, Greater China | Starwood Hotels and Resorts

Kai Wang became vice president, legal for Greater China at Starwoods Hotels and Resorts in mid-2014. In doing so, she moved away from a highly successful private practice career, in...

Kang Le

General manager - risk management, legal and compliance | China Life Investment

Set up in 2007, China Life Investment is the alternative investment subsidiary of the China Life Group. Currently managing over $14bn in assets China Life Investment is recognised as one...

Lemin Yu

General counsel | Sinochem, China

In his nearly 30 years working in the Sinochem legal team, Lemin Yu has witnessed the transformation of China’s economy from the front row. Indeed, as one of the pioneers...

Len Ding

General counsel, Asia Pacific | Kemira, China

Educated both in China and the United States, Len Ding has accumulated professional experience from large multinational corporations, including ArcelorMittal, Michelin and Philips, and from international law firm Simmons &...

Leslie Zhang Weihua

Vice president and general counsel | United Energy Group, China

After 11 successful years at CNOOC, Leslie Zhang Weihua joined United Energy Group (UEG), the fourth largest oil and gas company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, in September...

Li Han

Group general counsel | Shanda Group, China

Li Han’s extensive private practice career gave her excellent legal expertise and provided her with the tools to become a financial services legal specialist. While working with Davis Polk &...

Lyman Liu

General counsel | The Hina Group, China

Lyman Liu began his career as an associate partner at Beijing Huanzhong & Partners before spending a year as a senior associate and director of the international business department at...

Maaike van Meer

Chief legal and compliance officer | AXA Hong Kong

After receiving her legal education at Leiden University, Maaike van Meer qualified with premier Dutch law firm NautaDutilh, where she served for over seven years, first in Amsterdam and then...

Marcus Tsang

Group general counsel | Li & Fung Group, Hong Kong

Supply-chain management specialist Li & Fung is a global business and one of Hong Kong’s most historically important companies, having been founded in 1906. The company has grown alongside the...

Mark Loynd

General counsel | Giordano International, Hong Kong

Mark Loynd took up the position of genral counsel at Giordano International in 2013 and has since taken on the roles of company secretary, head of international brand collaborations and...

Matt Barter

General counsel | Future Mobility Corporation, China

After eight successful years in legal leadership positions at Lenovo, a Fortune 500 technology leader, Matt Barter was appointed as the first general counsel for Future Mobility Corporation (FMC) in...

Melissa Obegi

General counsel | Bain Capital Private Equity, Hong Kong

An in-house legal counsel with vast experience in international transactions and private equity, Melissa Obegi has been at the head of innovative legal work throughout her career. Before being asked...

Michelle Hung

General counsel and company secretary | COSCO SHIPPING Ports Limited, Hong Kong

A subsidiary of the COSCO Group, COSCO SHIPPING Ports is principally engaged in the businesses of managing and operating container terminals and related services. Michelle Hung has held the position...

Nadine Maurellet

General counsel | Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels

Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels (HSH) was first established in 1866, and has built up an extensive portfolio of hotels across Asia, US and Europe during the course of its extensive...

Naiqun Xing

Deputy general manager and general counsel | China National Chartering Co. (Sinochart)

China National Chartering Co., known as Sinochart, is an operator in the international maritime transportation industry and the largest non-vessel operation carrier in China. Its major business covers the import...

Nie Ying

General counsel | China National Aviation Holding

China National Aviation Holding (CNAH) is the 100% shareholder of China Air, the flag carrier of China and an enormous aviation organisation that boasts a fleet of almost 400 aircraft....

Owen Jones

General counsel, Asia Pacific | Hitachi Data Systems, Hong Kong

Owen Jones’ success in the in-house world was built on a solid foundation as a corporate lawyer for Linklaters, Charles Russell and Burges Salmon based in both London and Paris....

Phillip Meyer

General counsel, chief compliance officer and chief operating officer | Oasis Management, Hong Kong

Phillip Meyer joined Oasis Management in 2007 and serves as its general counsel, chief compliance officer and chief operating officer. In this the role he is responsible for the full...

Raymond Min-Yaw Goh

Director, legal and compliance | Anbang International Holdings, Hong Kong

With a career that is punctuated with a a raft of awards and accolades, Raymond Goh possesses formidable legal and business skills, with a work ethic and creativity to match....

Regina Chan

Senior director, Asia Pacific legal | Viavi Solutions (Greater China)

A highly experienced legal professional with particular skill in negotiation, risk avoidance and management, Regina Chan has been with her current employer, tech and communications company Viavi Solutions (formerly JDSU),...

Roy Huang

Alternate chief executive officer and general counsel | China CITIC Bank International

Financials

Roy Huang is alternative chief executive officer and general counsel of China CITIC Bank International, the offshore arm of China CITIC Bank. Huang has worked in senior legal and regulatory...

Sandy Yung

Group general counsel and company secretary | Sun Hung Kai Properties

Sandy Yung, group general counsel of Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP), has spent two decades of his distinguished legal career with Hong Kong headquartered real estate giant Sun Hung Kai...

Sharyn Chang

Global counsel | PwC, Hong Kong

With over 25 years of experience in Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong in national, Asia-wide and global in-house roles, Sharyn Ch’ang has enjoyed a diverse legal career spanning the IT,...

Shi Yingchun

Legal president | China Grand Enterprises

China Grand Enterprises is an enterprise whose business interests now cover healthcare, real estate, financial services and trade. It is also the parent company of three publicly traded companies: China...

Song Liuping

Chief legal officer | Huawei, China

Huawei, one of the world’s premier telecoms companies, manages a staggeringly complex set of operations. With more than 170,000 employees covering its global activities and revenues of over $60bn, it...

Stephanie Cheung

Chief legal officer | Melco Crown Entertainment, Hong Kong

Stephanie Cheung has been described by one source as an ‘astonishing attorney [who] plays a vital role’ in the management of her business. After qualifying in 1986, Cheung worked for...

Sun Yanchen

General counsel | Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Company (BAIC Group)

State-owned Beijing Automotive Industry Holding (BAIC Group) is the holding company of several automobile and machine manufacturers, located in Beijing, China. With over 2.25 million vehicles manufactured in 2014, BAIC...

Theo Pang

Vice president and general counsel, Asia Pacific | VF Corporation, Hong Kong

Theo Pang, current vice president and general counsel for Asia Pacific at American clothing manufacturer VF Corporation, has worked in a variety of interesting and high profile roles across a...

Tim Steinert

General counsel | Alibaba, Hong Kong

Tim Steinert became general counsel of multi-billion dollar revenue e-commerce company Alibaba Group in 2007, and has played a key role in the company’s impressive growth since. Indeed, in 2014...

Victor Liang

Vice president and general counsel | Baidu, China

Victor Liang is vice president and general counsel at leading Chinese web services company and internet search provider Baidu. Liang joined Baidu in 2005 and became vice president and general...

Victor Shen

Chief legal officer | Henkel Greater China and Korea

German multinational consumer goods Henkel, established Henkel Chemicals in Hong Kong in 1971 to primarily sell adhesives and industrial cleaners to Chinese companies. Today the company sells a range of...

Wang Yunan

Group vice president and general manager - legal affairs center | Dalian Wanda Group, China

With an annual revenue of approximately $39bn, Dalian Wanda Group is the world’s biggest private property developer and the world’s largest cinema chain operator. Wang Yunan joined the multinational Chinese...

Wei Hua Chen

General counsel | China Southern Airlines

China Southern Airlines, the largest airline in China, maintains over 500 aircraft and had revenue of over $16bn in 2015, making it one of the major global players in the...

Wen Jianxiu

General counsel | China CITIC Bank

Financials

China CITIC Bank is a full-service commercial bank that offers a broad spectrum of financial services including wealth management, personal banking, wholesale banking as well as global markets and treasury...

Wu Guangyao

General manager - legal | China Orient Asset Management Co.

China Orient Asset Management Co. (COAMC) is a state-owned comprehensive financial service group jointly established by the Ministry of Finance and National Council for Social Security Fund, with a registered...

Xu Qian

General director of legal affairs and secretary of the board | BGI Genomics, China

After a successful tenure as the legal affairs supervisor at Huada Science & Technology Co., Xu Qian joined BGI Genomics, one of the world’s premier genome sequencing centres, in 2013...

Xu Wei

General counsel | China Power International Development

China Power International Development is the core subsidiary for the conventional energy business of State Power Investment Corporation, and the only integrated energy group which simultaneously owns coal-fired power, hydropower,...

Xu Yao

General counsel | Fosun Group

After joining the legal team at Chinese international conglomerate and investment company Fosun in 2010, Xu Yao rose through the ranks quickly to assume the position of general counsel of...

Yan Li

Assistant general counsel, M&A | Tencent Holdings, China

Heading the M&A legal team of Tencent, one of the largest internet companies in the world, Yan Li has gained enviable recognition in the Chinese in-house market for his prolific...

Yang Na

General counsel, head of legal and compliance | Huarong Rongde (Hong Kong) Investment Management

Huarong Rongde (Hong Kong) Investment Management Company is the Hong Kong subsidiary of a joint venture established by China Huarong Asset Management Corporation (one of the “Big Four” asset management...

Yang Yuntao

General counsel | Sinotrans, China

State-owned Sinotrans is the largest freight logistics company in China, with around 66,000 employees and revenue approaching $12bn. Its operations include rail, road, air and shipping transport, providing the full...

Yao Jun

Chief legal officer | Ping An Insurance, China

Insurance

Ping An Insurance, a constituent of the Shanghai Stock Exchange 50 list, operates a diversified portfolio of financial services, including banking and insurance. Yao Jun has been chief legal officer...

Yi Chen

Legal director, head of legal | 58.com, China

Internet company 58.com runs one of the largest online marketplaces in China, serving local merchants and consumers across the country. Yi Chen, legal director and head of the legal department...

Yong Kai Wong

Managing director, head of legal and compliance | CITIC Capital Holdings, Hong Kong

Established as a high-achiever after an excellent legal and business education at Cambridge University and Harvard Business School, and with what has been described by one source as ‘an intimidatingly...

Yu Long

Chief human resources officer and general counsel | JD.com, China

As a Fortune 500 company with revenues of over CNY 180bn, NASDAQ listed JD.com is one of the largest online retailers in China. Current chief human resources officer and general...

Yu Mang

Deputy general manager - legal affairs | China Mobile

With over 800 million customers, China Mobile Communications Corporation (known as China Mobile) is the largest mobile company in the world. Given the company’s vast array of operations and customer...

Yu Tat Fung

General manager of the legal department (HK) | Yuexiu Enterprises, Hong Kong

Yuexiu Group is a real estate, finance, transport and infrastructure conglomerate. At the core of this business is Yuexiu Property, a national real estate company that has developed over 80...

Zhang Jianbin

Deputy general counsel | China Telecom

As the largest land line and third largest mobile telephone operator in the People’s Republic of China, China Telecom is a truly enormous operation. Among other impressive statistics, the organisation...

Zhao Yuguo

General counsel | FAW Group, China

Zhao Yugao’s career with FAW Group stretches back to 1987, when he first became part of the legal affairs department, attached to the economic planning division. He was promoted to...

Zhuang Shangbiao

President, executive director and general legal counsel | China Railway Construction Corporation

An engineer by training, Zhuang Shangbiao is one of the most distinguished figures in China’s construction industry. To date, Zhuang’s positions include deputy general manager of the finance department of...

Zhuyong Li

General counsel and general manager of the legal and compliance department | The People's Insurance Company of China Group (PICC)

Insurance

With assets totalling an estimated $126bn, The People’s Insurance Company of China Group (PICC) is one of the largest insurers in the country. One of its primary subsidiaries, PICC Property...

The economies of China and Hong Kong are often compared based on their differences, despite the interaction between the two. China is still dependent on high-volume manufacturing that is still one of the linchpins of globalisation, while Hong Kong remains a global financial capital. China, despite its economic liberalisation over the past two decades or so, maintains a high degree of state management in its businesses and is dominated in some sectors by large state-owned companies. Hong Kong, on the other hand, is known as a hub for international companies who need a base for their expansion into the wider Asian region.

However, these traditional views of the countries are changing, and the role of the general counsel is at the heart of the transformation. Regulation in both China and Hong Kong is rapidly evolving, and is posing new challenges for the increasing number of globally-facing companies in the region. This challenge is spurring the development of the still new corporate counsel role in China. General counsel in the GC Powerlist have been progressively expanding their influence since the introduction of the corporate lawyer role in 2003, and many spoke positively to us about their increasing impact on strategic business decisions. In Hong Kong, though already well established, the GC role is becoming increasingly focused on regulatory, compliance and risk management efforts.

Considering the developing market and shifting nature of the role, The Legal 500 GC Powerlist: China and Hong Kong seeks to highlight the individuals who are driving this change. In particular, we sought to include those who were able to successfully combine their technical legal ability with excellent business acumen to make a truly indispensable contribution to their company’s success.

Over several months our experienced researchers consulted both law firm partners and in-house counsel, who nominated corporate counsel who they believe provided the most outstanding support and innovative methods of working in the market. We then chose those nominees who were most worthy of inclusion based on the above criteria.

I would like to express my personal thanks to our sponsors for supporting this publication, Zhong Lun. A special mention must also be made for the general counsel that took time to speak to us throughout the process, and for the research team that worked on this GC Powerlist publication, Mudasser Ahmedi and Joe Boswell.

David Burgess
Publishing Director

Zhong Lun Law Firm

Zhong Lun Law Firm logo

Happy New Year to you all! First of all we want to congratulate you on behalf of Zhong Lun Law Firm on your inclusion in the first ever GC Powerlist China and Hong Kong 2017, and extend to you our heartfelt new year’s greetings. As co-host of this publication, we feel honoured and deeply grateful for the opportunities we have had to work with top-notch businesses such as yours.

Facing rapidly growing complexity in legal work, general counsels across the globe have accumulated widespread recognition for their innovative approaches, management savvy and trendsetting abilities. You and your peers are not only the reliable providers of timely and seamless in-house legal services, but also the driving force in the construction of internal supervision and risk management mechanism, the business transformation, the safeguarding of the businesses and the improvement of the competitive strengths of the companies. It’s not farfetched to say that your work has given us a better business climate and your success paves the way for our success.

The competition is getting fiercer, while your dedication and spirit of enterprise makes you the forerunners in the industry, we believe that your companies take pride in your amazing achievements and that you will grasp every opportunity this era presents, shoulder even more social responsibilities and make even greater contributions to China’s legal reform.

As headline sponsor, Zhong Lun was one of the first batch of partnership law firms approved to be established by the Ministry of Justice, and one of the largest full-service law firms in China. The firm practices in 21 areas, including capital markets/securities, real estate, private equity and venture capital, corporate/foreign direct investment, mergers and acquisitions, banking and finance, dispute resolution and intellectual property. Committed to providing comprehensive and integrated legal support for our clients’ business activities, our firm, headquartered in Beijing, has offices in 15 cities around the world, with nine mainland offices (Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Wuhan, Chengdu, Chongqing, Qingdao and Hangzhou) and six overseas outfits (Tokyo, Hong Kong, London, New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco).

Since 2013, Zhong Lun has won more than 300 awards with its business strength, excellent market performance and outstanding client services. For five consecutive years (2012-2016), it has been the Chinese law firm with the highest number of practice areas ranked by Chambers, including the highest number of practice areas with Band 1 rankings, and the PRC law firm with the highest number of recommended lawyers. In 2015, it was named Corporate & Finance China PRC Law Firm of the Year by Chambers. In 2016, it won The Lawyer’s Asia Law Firm of the Year award. In 2015, the firm was crowned PRC Law Firm of the Year by International Financial Law Review. For two years running (2015- 2016), Zhong Lun was named by Asian Legal Business (ALB) as one of the Top 10 Law Firms in China and it was named by ALB as China Employer of Choice in 2013-2014 and 2016. For three consecutive years (2013-2015), Zhong Lun was also ranked the Best Overall PRC Law Firm by China Business Law Journal. In September 2016 it won ten awards at the China Law & Practice Awards, including China Firm of the Year and Pro Bono Initiatives of the Year, making it one of the most decorated law firms among all participating firms. Last year, Zhong Lun was ranked first among the Top 20 Chinese Law Firms and named Legal Pioneer for Internationalisation by Phoenix Global Affairs Unit. Besides this, Zhong Lun has won more than 70 awards for various deals. Our major deals include the Shanghai Disney Resort project, JD’s acquisition of Tencent’s e-commerce business, Focus Media’s privatisation, Vanke and Blackstone’s joint venture, the establishment of China Railway Development Fund and its first phase of fundraising, Hewlett-Packard and Unisplendour’s US$2.5bn collaboration, WuXi AppTec’s privatisation, Ping An Insurance Group’s acquisition of Autohome shares from Telstra Corp, Bank of China (Hong Kong)’s Panda bond issuance, acquisition of OmniVision Technologies by a Chinese private equity consortium, the Thar II development project in Pakistan, to name a few.

We wish you all a more prosperous and fruitful 2017!

Jones Day Hong Kong Roundtable 2024

The Legal 500 was thrilled to join a selection of top Jones Day partners and a hand-picked group of 15 the most prominent GCs in Hong Kong for a freewheeling and no-holds-barred discussion on geopolitical risk management at a time of global transition. Steve Brogan, managing partner of Jones Day from 2002-2022 flew over to lend his considerable expertise to the discussion, as did Partner-in-Charge Hong Kong Joelle Lau. Joining them to give expert briefings on the topics of the day were partners Peter Wang, Dr Qiang Xue, James Fidler, Samuel Ngo and Charles Chau. The conversation moved from sanctions and counter sanctions, to the increasing pre-eminence of the Asian economy, to the philosophy of the rule of law in times of crisis.