The Chinese Business Lawyers Association ("CBLA"), the leading social and professional organization for business people and attorneys focused on Chinese legal issues, in November announced the first election of new board members since the organization was founded in 2009. Returning board members Ms. Catherine Pan, Ms. Meng Ru, and Ms. Xiaoyan Zhang will be joined by new board members Mr. Steve Chen, Ms. Esther Chiang, Ms. Lijun Dou, Mr. Simon Mui and Mr. Geoffrey Sant.
"We are ecstatic about our new board members," Ms. Meng Ru said. "The new board members include our first director based in China, our first director from the U.S. subsidiary of a PRC law firm, and our first director of non-Chinese ethnicity. We are excited by the diverse backgrounds of this incoming leadership team, and we believe this diversity demonstrates the growing importance and reach of the China-U.S. relationship."
Simon Mui, an attorney in the Shanghai office of law firm Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, is the first director of the CBLA to be based in China. Mr. Mui has worked at law firms in Beijing, Hong Kong and New York and is also admitted to practice in England and Wales. "Simon has already been extremely important in expanding our PRC membership and launching events, including a panel discussion on joining companies as in-house legal counsel," Ms. Ru stated. "Some would say that we were overdue for having a China-based director, and based on Simon's successes so far, I would say they're right!"
Lijun Dou, Chinese law counsel at the New York office of the law firm DeHeng, is the first director of the CBLA to come from the U.S. subsidiary of a PRC law firm. She has been admitted to the Bar of China for over two decades, making her among the most experienced of all active PRC attorneys. Her past experience includes serving as general counsel to a leading Chinese Internet company and working at the Ministry of Justice of China's Training Center of National Lawyers. She has also taught at Columbia University School of Law and at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York City as a visiting scholar. Ms. Ru stated, "Lijun is a fantastic addition to our team and brings us insights into the China-U.S. relationship from the perspective of a PRC attorney."
Geoffrey Sant is the first ethnically non-Chinese director of the CBLA. Mr. Sant, an attorney at Morrison & Foerster LLP, has been a frequent commentator on CCTV, Phoenix Television, Global Times and other Chinese-language media. One of Mr. Sant's interviews is posted on the website of the Supreme People's Court of the PRC. Mr. Sant, who is also fluent in Japanese, said, "I am honored to be the first ethnically non-Chinese member of the board. As it happens, I was also the first non-Japanese person hired by Columbia University's Japanese language program, so it's exciting to be part of another first."
Steve Chen, an attorney at Jones Day, is not only an attorney but also holds a PhD in molecular and cell biology and focuses his practice on the prosecution of U.S. and non-U.S. patent applications. Ms. Ru said, "Steve's experience in patent law and his knowledge of the specific needs of companies in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and science fields will be of great value for our team as we strive to meet the needs of attorneys, businesspeople and companies in these specific areas."
Esther Chiang, an attorney at Sidley Austin, represents investment advisors and pooled investment funds in connection with corporate securities and regulatory matters. In addition to her legal experience, Ms. Chiang has a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University, and has work experience in the wireless communications industry. Ms. Ru said, "Esther is a former officer of the CBLA, where she served as our vice president of events. Her accomplishments in that role were so impressive that she was an easy choice for our new board of directors."
In addition to these new members of the board of directors, the CBLA also selected new officers. The returning members of the board of directors are Catherine Pan, a securities attorney at Goodwin Procter; Meng Ru, a corporate finance attorney at Akin Gump; and Xiaoyan Zhang, an intellectual property litigator at Hogan Lovells. The entire list of new directors and officers, together with links to law firm bios, can be viewed on the CBLA website at www.cbla.org/our_staff.
About CBLA
The Chinese Business Lawyers Association is the leading association of legal and business professionals involved in or interested in law and business in the U.S. and China. The CBLA, a nonprofit organization founded in early 2009, sponsors quarterly
seminars on Chinese legal topics, as well as monthly chats and regular social networking events relating to business and law in China. Approximately one-fourth of the top-25 most prestigious law firms in the country (according to Vault rankings) are represented within the directors and officers of the CBLA. For more information about the association, visit their website at www.cblalaw.org or contact Geoffrey Sant, (212) 336-4368 or [email protected].