About

The Hong Kong branch of the Agricultural Bank of China was founded in 1995 and was the first overseas branch of the Bank, providing a full range of banking services including investment, financing and wealth management services for high-net-worth customers. The legal team at the company handles all of the Bank’s legal affairs regarding its products and regulations including its internal governance. The Bank was the last of the Chinese “big four” banks to go public with its first IPO in Shanghai, followed by Hong Kong. The Hong Kong qualified solicitor Derek Chan, in his role of head of legal and compliance, has been leading the legal team since 2013. During Chan’s tenure as leader of the team, it has had to deal with the Bank’s increasing regulatory and political scrutiny, as well as continuing to handle all commercial contract management for its wealth management, corporate and personal banking products. The function has also overseen the implementation of an e-banking system from a legal perspective and ensured the Bank’s continued status as a powerhouse in Asian banking.