Gary Gao

Introduction

Gary Gao is a partner and head of the compliance and regulatory department of Zhong Lun Law Firm. He obtained an LLM in the UK and his working languages are English and Chinese. He is an experienced lawyer, having practiced for 25 years. Before being admitted to the PRC Bar in 1995, he had worked as a criminal judge in a district court in Shanghai since 1990. Gao has been consecutively recommended as the Leading Individual in Compliance & Regulatory by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific since 2020 and in Corporate Investigation/Anti-Bribery by Chambers Asia-Pacific since 2018. Besides, Gao was honored as the 2023 and 2022 Distinguished Practitioner in Regulatory by Asialaw Profiles, “Deal of the Year 2020”, and inclusion in “The A-List China’s Elite 100 Lawyers 2022” “The A-List China’s Elite 100 Lawyers 2021” and “The A-List China’s Elite 100 Lawyers 2019” by China Business Law Journal consecutively, the 2017 “Regulatory & Compliance Lawyer of the Year” by China Law & Practice, the 2016 “Client Choice Top 20 Lawyer” by ALB and named one of “Asia’s Leading Lawyers for Business of Dispute Resolution” recommended by Chambers Asia-Pacific 2013.

Having more than two decades of work experience in compliance and international dispute resolution provides Gao with an intimate and thorough understanding of enterprise operation, a keen grasp on international business skills and traps in negotiations and a rich experience in dealing with company compliance. He has assisted numerous multinational corporations, institutions and large domestic enterprises in different industries in dealing with comprehensive compliance issues, including handling cross-border governmental investigations, defending clients in criminal proceedings, preparing for and dealing with related disputes, conducting internal compliance investigation regarding management staff, initiating criminal procedure and dealing with employment termination, as well as providing compliance training services to their management, employees and business partners etc.

Additionally, Gao is an experienced and skilled litigator capable of handling complex, cross-border litigation as well as sophisticated commercial disputes. He has rich experience in foreign arbitration, litigation, mediation and negotiation, is familiar with the strategic planning of dispute resolution in multiple jurisdictions, the application of the law (especially those relating to the application of the common law), and the collection, screening and rules of proof of cross-border evidence. In particular, Gao is good at dealing with disputes involving corporate equity, partnerships in private equity investment, procurement contracts, cross-border mergers and acquisitions, insurance claims, etc.