Speakers:

Eugene Chen, Registered Foreign Lawyer, Allen & Overy

Jonathan Benson, Senior Associate, Allen & Overy

Melody Wang, Partner, Shanghai Lang Yue Law Firm

Between a rock and a hard place: Challenges for multinational businesses posed by new Chinese trade developments
 
Against the backdrop of global trade tensions, China has taken steps to equip itself with a “toolbox” of new trade and data laws and regulations in recent months. These measures pose potential challenges for multinational businesses with operations in China, particularly where the practical impact of those provisions have the scope to come into conflict with other foreign legal regimes. 

At this event, our panel of experts will provide a detailed update on this new legislative landscape and whether there is a safe path through the rock and a hard place. There will also be the option for a Q&A session at the end.

About the speakers

For nearly twenty five years, Eugene has helped clients navigate their most complex disputes in some of the thorniest parts of the world.  As a U.S.-trained litigator based in Hong Kong, he helps clients proactively overcome the commercial and regulatory challenges they face when doing business in Asia.   When authorities raid, Eugene is a vigorous advocate before both domestic and international regulators.  He also regularly conducts internal corporate investigations where whistle-blowers or audits have identified anomalies.  To help clients avoid problems, he pro-actively designs and tests rigorous anti-corruption policies with a business-minded approach.  And he regularly conducts anti-bribery due diligence to help clients have a deeper understanding of their customers and business partners, and effectively implement their Know Your Customer processes.  Eugene also has experience in representing companies in all manner of litigation and international arbitration.  His PRC-focused disputes practice covers a range of commercial and unfair competition claims, and large and small-scale product quality issues, with a particular focus on the life sciences, TMT, energy, and consumer product sectors.

Jonathan Benson is a Senior Associate in A&O’s International Trade and Regulatory Law Group.  He has extensive experience of advising on a wide range of global compliance and trade-related issues, including advising on sanctions and export controls, anti-bribery and corruption laws, international trade law, customs, business and human rights issues and foreign direct investment controls.  He regularly advises on these issues in financings and M&A transactions and has significant experience developing and advising on compliance programmes.  Prior to joining A&O, Jonathan was a senior lawyer at the UK's Department for International Trade and the UK's Ministry of Defence.

Melody Wang has been assisting multinational companies navigate and cope with the complex labyrinth of regulatory and political challenges associated with their business dealings and operations in the PRC since shortly after China joined the WTO in 2002.  These challenges have multiplied significantly in recent years with new emphasis on sanctions (and counter sanctions) and the increasingly complex Chinese data law regime.  Melody is an established expert in these fields and heads the disputes and investigations practice at the PRC law firm Lang Yue, which is in joint operation with Allen & Overy in China.  She handles a wide variety of regulatory, criminal, and civil/commercial matters for clients, many of which involve multiple forums in China and other jurisdictions, competing regulatory interests, and face to face interaction with various PRC authorities.  Melody has appeared in numerous foreign proceedings as a Chinese law expert – including on PRC cyber and data security issues, and was appointed to the Cross-Border Experts Panel by the PRC Ministry of Finance.  She’s also a listed arbitrator with the HKIAC.  Melody was trained in the UK and the US, but has been based in Mainland China for most of her entire career and has developed an extensive network, both inside and outside of Chinese officialdom.   

Pricing

• Member: HK$140
• Non-Member: HK$250

Details on how to join will be sent via email by 5pm the day before the webinar.

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