40 Asian Legal Business | November 2024 Top 15 General Counsel Honoured at ALB East & Concord GC Winners Roundtable 2024 ALB China天达共和十五佳总法律顾问 圆桌会议成功举办 On October 18, the 2024 ALB East & Concord GC Winners Roundtable was successfully held at the PuXuan Hotel in Beijing. The event, moderated by Liu Siqiang, Director of Brand Operations at East & Concord Partners, welcomed the ALB China top 15 general counsel named this year, along with their representatives. Amantha Chia, Head of the Legal Media Group at Thomson Reuters, addressed the attendees via video, while Li Zheng, Managing Partner and Director of the Management Committee at East & Concord’ Beijing office, delivered an in-person speech. They congratulated this year’s general counsel winners and welcomed all guests. In her speech, Chia remarked that in the face of globalization and digitalization, compliance challenges for companies have become increasingly complex. The role of general counsel has evolved profoundly—they are now core strategists at the helm of corporate management, ensuring businesses navigate forward steadily in a complex, ever-changing environment. Li expressed gratitude to all in-house counsel in attendance and congratulated the top-ranking GCs and their exceptional legal teams. He highlighted that over the past year, the legal field in Asia and globally has faced unprecedented challenges and transformations. Amid increasing global economic uncertainties and geopolitical tensions, legal professionals have made invaluable contributions through their wisdom and courage. The event continued with a roundtable discussion. Five groups of attendees engaged in lively discussions on the theme “Grounded in the Present, Embracing the Future—The Profession and Vision of Legal Professionals.” Each group discussed industry opportunities and challenges, responsibilities of legal teams, criteria for selecting external counsel, the multi-dimensional thinking required of GCs, the “emotional value” of legal work, the use of technology tools, and their focus areas for the coming year. Following the discussion, each group selected a representative to participate in an on-stage dialogue with East & Concord’s partners, moderated by Guan Bing, Managing Partner and Head of the Intellectual Property Department at the Beijing Office, along with Ji Chaoyi, Managing Partner and Head of the Dispute Resolution Department at the Beijing Office, and Huang Peng, Managing Partner at the Hangzhou Office. The panel welcomed distinguished guests Avril Li, Head of the Legal and Compliance Department at Grand Pharma (China); Melvin Zhang, Vice President & General Counsel, Chairman of Trade Union at Be Friends; Fang Zheng, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at Hunan Construction Investment Group; and Kenneth Zhou, Head of Legal & Compliance AP-N at SIG Group. Following the insightful panel, the awards ceremony commenced. Partners from East & Concord presented the awards to the general counsel winners and their representatives. After the ceremony, the honourees gathered with their peers to enjoy dinner and connect further. With a joint toast led by Ge Xiangyang, Partner at East & Concord’s Beijing Office, and Xing Dongmei, Managing Partner and Head of the Business Management Committee, the attendees celebrated past achievements and encouraged one another to pursue future successes. Li Zheng shared his thoughts with ALB, saying, “I extend my heartfelt congratulations to this year’s top 15 General Counsel! Over recent months, the overall economic recovery has been slow, and many enterprises have faced operational challenges. Yet, this year’s top GCs have led their companies to overcome obstacles and achieve remarkable results, which is no easy feat. Their accomplishments are highly commendable, and I once again congratulate them warmly!” Chen Yongxing, Managing Partner and Director of the Management Committee at East & Concord Partners’ Shanghai office, added, “In guiding companies at a macro level, GCs are expected to possess certain organizational, transformational, and leadership abilities. Especially when companies are expanding internationally, GCs are crucial in helping decision-makers set strategic steps, manage risks, and establish standardized processes. This award not only reflects the professional capabilities of the top 15 GCs but also honours their role in promoting legal construction within enterprises and safeguarding corporate rights and interests.” May these distinguished general counsel continue upholding professionalism to better safeguard businesses, create greater value, and achieve their aspirations! ALB East & Concord GC Winners Roundtable 2024
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