Following an extensive survey of market opinions and rigorous independent research, China Business Law Journal has identified a select group of highly recommended leading figures in the legal profession. Jeffrey Huang reports
In the past year, the global economy has gradually emerged from the shadow of recession, yet recovery remains sluggish, hampered by geopolitical instability and supply chain restructuring. In this new cycle, where opportunity coexists with challenge, businesses are increasingly aware that outstanding commercial lawyers are not just an external resource in critical times, but also strategic partners for creating value in a complex landscape.
In recognition of the contributions of distinguished lawyers, we continue our A-List awards this year, featuring three categories: the Visionaries; the Growth Drivers; and Rising Stars.
This issue spotlights the Visionaries – trailblazers whose insight, leadership and influence are shaping the future of the legal profession. The Growth Drivers and Rising Stars will be announced in the coming months via our website and social media channels.
The selection of Visionaries highlights industry pioneers who set exemplary standards in both managerial achievement and social contribution. They are the backbones of their firm’s founders, managing partners and strategic leaders who create value and set strategy.
Their influence also extends to the broader public sphere, where they contribute to legislative consultation, industry standard-setting, academia and education, and even cultural exchange.
It is this rare fusion of professional skill, strategic vision and social responsibility that forges their status as industry leaders, encapsulating the value and mission of the contemporary legal elite.
We extend our sincere gratitude to all nominees who participated in our market research and offer our heartfelt congratulations to the winning lawyers.
METHODOLOGY
To identify the most esteemed lawyers in the market, we invited corporate counsel and executives from Chinese and global businesses, partners from Chinese and international law firms, and legal experts across diverse industries to nominate their lawyers of choice.
This year’s robust response, with thousands of nominations, coincides with the increasingly competitive legal market, reflecting corporate clients’ ever-higher requirements for legal professionalism and industry specialisation.
In the principle of neutrality, as always, lawyers were not allowed to nominate themselves or colleagues practising at the same firm. The final selection is based on market nominations, candidate submissions and independent editorial research. Notably, the entire evaluation process is free of charge, from nomination to final selection.
Skilled in practice
For Visionaries, superior legal capability, precise legal thinking, and meticulous professional ethics are the cornerstones of their long-term client trust. They continually hone their skills, confront challenges and earn acclaim inside and outside the industry through high-profile cases.
Deng Yong, the director of Sun & Co’s Chengdu headquarters, represented Xingshu Investment and Development in a contract dispute at the retrial stage. Despite adverse factors, including the absence of new evidence at the retrial stage and earlier client concessions, he successfully secured a revised judgment, recovering RMB190 million (USD26.7 million).
Deng earns the recommendation of Wang Wei, the head of legal at Xingshu Investment, who praises him for being “particularly familiar with government legal affairs and risk control for government investment and financing projects. He possesses solid theoretical foundations and practical capabilities in serving as legal counsel for various large and medium-sized companies and operating non-litigious projects.”
Liu Tianfu, the vice president of strategic business development at US chemical materials manufacturer Cabot in Shanghai, speaks highly of Michael Sheng, a Shanghai-based managing partner at Ashurst, for his cross-border M&A prowess. “[Michael] is an experienced cross-border M&A lawyer, particularly well-versed in China-related matters,” says Liu. “He is responsive, proactive, and his advice is both practical and comprehensive. He has a deep understanding of clients’ needs for cost-effectiveness and works consistently to meet them.”
Also based in Shanghai, James Jiang, a managing partner of Topcom Law Offices, leverages his extensive case experience in compliance areas such as trade secrets and export controls to help Chinese semiconductor manufacturer CXMT mitigate risk, an effort recognised by Joey Wen, the company’s legal head.
Leon Li, a legal manager for Asia-Pacific at Driscoll’s Management (Shanghai), applauds Jiang’s expertise in food safety law, saying that beyond operational legal solutions, he stands out for his “profound understanding of regulatory risks and his proactive compliance attitude”.
Distinguished for insight
Cutting through complexity to focus on what truly matters – this is where the Visionaries excel. Their deep understanding of law and market dynamics enables them not only to interpret the present landscape but also to anticipate future trends and risks. This foresight keeps clients a step ahead, offering counsel that transcends immediate concerns and inspires long-term confidence.
“As economic operations grow increasingly complex, and AI becomes pervasive, clients’ rising expectations can no longer be met by merely standardised legal solutions,” says Victor Lee, the executive president of Jingfeng Holding. “Acting as their decision-making partners is now crucial.”
For Lee, Eric Chow, a managing partner of Commerce & Finance Hong Kong, fits this bill perfectly. “[Chow] possesses not only profound legal expertise and experience, along with the requisite professional ethics, but also sharp commercial acumen,” says Lee. “Under his leadership, his team can fully comprehend legal boundaries and the specific commercial circumstances of clients, providing solid legal support.”
Hoi Ng, a managing director at Morgan Stanley, also praises Chow’s professionalism and ability to identify and bridge misunderstandings between clients and partners from different cultural backgrounds – a “bridge-building” skill he says is Chow’s most valuable trait.
Liu Ruikun, general counsel and chief compliance officer of China General Technology (Group), praises Long Haitao, the founding partner and chairman of the management committee at Merits & Tree Law Offices in Beijing, for his exceptional professional calibre and comprehensive service.
“[Long] has a sharp ability to capture the balance between compliance requirements and commercial opportunities within a complex legal and regulatory framework and an ever-changing regulatory environment, providing solutions that meet regulatory requirements while being commercially viable,” says Liu. “This service model, which extends from ‘legal judgment’ to ‘commercial support’, significantly enhances our decision-making quality and execution efficiency in major transactions and dispute resolution.”
Sammy Lai, a partner at PwC China, commends Vicky Lord, a Shanghai-based managing partner at Harneys, for her expertise in cross-border commercial disputes involving the British Virgin Islands (BVI) and Cayman Islands.
Lord has extensive experience in schemes of arrangement under section 238 of the Cayman Islands Companies Act, BVI mergers, and arrangements, repeatedly securing victories for corporate clients. She also frequently serves as a BVI and Cayman Islands litigation expert and joint legal counsel for companies listed in China and the US, safeguarding enterprises in complex capital markets.
Achieving by trust
Whether confronting intricate due diligence or managing time-sensitive commercial crises, the Visionaries consistently earn their clients’ trust. This trust stems from reliable responsiveness at every critical juncture, a profound understanding of the law, and a precise grasp of commercial imperatives. They become their clients’ most dependable partners, allowing trust to deepen through long-term collaboration.
Zhang Dongjing, a partner at Dahui Lawyers’ Wuhan office, has provided ongoing legal services for Poly (Wuhan) Real Estate Development for 18 years. Handling numerous complex legal matters with strong professional acumen and dedication, she has earned the client’s trust and praise.
Li Chenchen, a legal manager at the company, says: “[Zhang], in providing both routine legal services and agency services for litigation and arbitration cases for our company and its affiliates, fully demonstrates her superb professional standards and dedicated spirit. She has outstanding professional ability, strong crisis response capabilities, possesses a global perspective and strategic thinking, and flexibly uses diversified dispute resolution mechanisms. She is the unquestionable choice for our company when facing major and difficult cases.”
At CNNP Rich Energy, general counsel Liu Kun acknowledges the work of Wang Jihong, senior counsel at Zhong Lun Law Firm’s Beijing office, and her team, who provided comprehensive legal services for the company’s capital increase and equity expansion. The transaction required due diligence on more than 400 subsidiaries and nearly 600 new energy projects in a short timeframe, along with a systemic review of potential obstacles to subsequent capital operations. Wang led her team to complete the work efficiently and with high quality, earning the full trust of the company’s leadership.
Li Qiongjia, the legal head of Hive Box Network Technology, praises Xiong Xiaojun, a senior partner at DeHeng Law Offices’ Shenzhen office, for his expertise in commercial dispute resolution, practical problem solving, and understanding of clients’ needs. “In my view, an outstanding legal professional must both safeguard the enterprise and deliver value for the industry. Xiong Xiaojun undoubtedly possesses both traits,” says Li.
After providing legal services for Shaanxi Coal Industry’s mainboard listing on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, Yan Yu, the founding partner of Jia Yuan Law Firm’s Beijing office, received high recognition from her client.
Li Lei, the legal head of Shaanxi Coal Industry, says that following the listing, the company developed a profound relationship with Yan, whose team also provided legal support for subsequent projects, including dividend distributions, share repurchases and commercial acquisitions.
Li praises Yu “for being highly experienced in team management, personnel allocation and legal matters related to coal natural resources; concurrently, she is also very experienced in providing ongoing information disclosure legal services for listed companies, ensuring our company’s consistent ‘A’ rating in information disclosure assessments over the years.”
Zhou Zhaofeng, China managing partner at Fieldfisher’s Beijing office, is widely recognised for his expertise in antitrust law. Zheng Weiwei, a manager at China Southern Airlines, praises him as one of the finest competition and data privacy lawyers she has worked with, saying he “not only masters the letter of the law, but also deeply understands industry; the advice he provides is immensely practical.”
Dedicated to contribution
The Visionaries are pillars of their firms and practitioners of social value. This dedication to combining professional expertise with societal needs makes them trusted legal experts and forces for social progress.
Li Shoushuang, a senior partner at Dacheng Law Offices in Beijing, wins praise from Joe Zhou, chief compliance officer and head of the legal and compliance department at CICC, for his experience in capital markets, private equity funds and asset management.
Besides keeping abreast of market policy trends and assisting clients with complex issues, Zhou says that “[Li] is one of the few lawyers in the industry with policy influence. He has participated as an external expert in legislative discussions held by the CSRC, the NDRC, the MOFCOM, the Ministry of Justice and the SAFE, playing a significant role particularly in the formulation of laws, regulations and supervisory policies for the private equity fund industry”, and has repeatedly offered policy suggestions to senior levels through internal advisory channels.
Yang Guohua, a member of the WTO Law Research Society (affiliated with the China Law Society), nominates Guan Jian, a founding partner of Grandwin Law Firm’s Beijing office, praising his specialisation in international trade, cross-border investment and dispute resolution.
Guan has experience in foreign-related legal practice, including WTO dispute settlement and countervailing duty investigations. Yang says that he is a reliable “guardian”, using legal weapons to defend their overseas interests; even for the nation, he is an outstanding “representative” and “brain trust”, safeguarding national dignity in international courts and striving for the benefits of rules at the negotiating table.
Fan Jiannian, a partner at Gide’s Shanghai Representative Office, receives joint praise from Elaine Huang, the vice president and general counsel at French company bioMerieux, and Shi Hongyan, legal counsel at Albéa Group China Cluster, for his industry experience and professional legal services. They specifically note Fan’s contributions to Sino-French cultural exchange, describing him as a “cultural bridge” between the two countries.
Silver Kung, the chairman of Siegfried Capital, praises Kingsley Ong, a partner at CMS in Hong Kong, as “the most knowledgeable and professional lawyer that I know in Hong Kong or anywhere else in the world in my field of work”, saying that Ong frequently participates in lectures and courses, sharing his experience and knowledge with society.
