About

Western Digital is a world leading hard disk drive manufacturer and data storage company headquartered in Irvine, California. It is a major international player in computing and digital innovation, and with its purchase of SanDisk for a reported US$19bn it has expanded even further. Western Digital has developed a major place in the Chinese tech market and boasts an impressive in-house legal team in the country, led by legal director Terry Yao. A nominator has identified that, ‘the members of the legal team are all elite legal professionals… knowledgeable in law and practice, and often have a sharp view on knotty issues. They respect the law and external lawyers, and are willing to work side-by-side with the external lawyers to tackle complicated issues in sophisticated cases’. The team is highly skilled in all corporate and commercial areas relating to the company’s work in China, as well as data protection, privacy and IP, crucial to innovation in this highly competitive market. A nominator highlights that, ‘Western Digital also works closely with other platforms and social media, such as Suning.com, eBay, Facebook. Southeast Asia is challenging but the team has worked well and achieved great results in certain jurisdictions. By doing this, the team helps the company in building up the brand image and improves customer experience’.