NYU Asia Law Society 2008 Spring Delegation to Shanghai
NYU Asia Law Society would like to thank its generous sponsors:
We met with NYU law graduates working in Shanghai over dinner. This was
also a chance to meet partners and associates from Zhong Lun law firm,
a Chinese law firm. We discussed what role foreign-trained lawyers might
play in Chinese law firms and how Chinese law firms interact with foreign
firms. Afterwards, we ate dinner with the alumni at the top of the Bank
of China building.
Orrick
Landon Prieur, the Partner-in-Charge of Orrick, Shanghai gave a presentation
on Orrick's rapid expansion into China. The talk emphasized how the future
might look in Chinese corporate work, such as likely changes in how the
government might approach securities and financing. After the presentation,
we talked to lawyers in the office over a spicy Sichuan lunch.
The Managing Partner of Baker, Danian Zhang, described the growth
of Baker in Asia. Associates from the Hong Kong and Shanghai branch described
their work and the role of foreign lawyers in China. Many of the questions
focused on Baker's work with IP laws in China and what skills a lawyer
wanting to practice in China should emphasize.
Roots & Shoots, a program of the Jane Goodall Foundation, is
the only foreign-affiliated NPO registered with the Chinese government.
This meeting covered many topics as Roots & Shoots has experience in a
number of subjects: environmental issues, the role of foreign entities
in China, developing NPOs and NGOs, supporting education, and deepening
experiences for Chinese youth. US Consulate General - Jonathan Heimer,
the Deputy Principal Commercial Officer and Director of the Commercial
Center, led a discussion about Chinese law, commerce, and politics. The
different perspectives of the Consulate representitives allowed for a
very in-depth discussion of issues facing China and the role of the United
States in China.
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Diana Lynn Matthias, the Senior Manager of Rouse, gave us a presentation
on how IP laws are enforced in China. This was an interesting extension
of some of the IP discussions we had throughout the week. The talk came
with many concrete examples on how pirating networks function and how
foreign businesses and law firms can deal with them.
We met with Wang Zu De, deputy director of the Shanghai Arbitration
Commission. He gave us a tour of the office, an overview of the growing
use of arbitration in China, and a description of the unique features
of the Shanghai Commission. The discussion also covered the future of
arbitration in China and how the country's different commissions can and
will interact.
Many Jiao Tong law students hosted us to meet them and talk about law
school. Legal education in China is very different than the United States,
so it was interesting to compare our cultures and experiences learning
the law. This was also a great opportunity for both sides to practice
their language skills.
We met with Dr. Zhao Huiyu of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School
of Law, Charlie McElwee, an environmental lawyer for Squire, Sanders &
Dempsey in Shanghai and teacher at Jiao Tong, and Dr. Kai Xiao, an Associate
Professor and Assistant Dean in Jiao Tong. The speakers covered both their
experiences in Chinese legal academia as well as their experiences with
the development of Chinese environmental law.
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Copyright 2007 NYU Asia Law Society