| Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday, February 24, 2016 | 12:00PM - 2:00PM | Boardroom and Library, Munk School of Global Affairs 315 Bloor Street West Toronto, ON M5S 0A7 |
The Chinese culture and tradition did not naturally give birth to the legal profession. Prior to the communist revolution, lawyers, as a profession, existed for a few brief decades and on a very small scale. Shortly after the People’s Republic of China was established in 1949, the legal profession could no longer find its position in a newly organized society and quickly disappeared.
In late 1970s and early 1980s, the Chinese leadership shifted its focus to reform and economic growth. The legal profession was once again allowed. Initially, law firms were state owned, and lawyers were defined as social legal workers with wages paid by the government. Private law firms were first introduced in early 1990s and since then, the legal profession has gone through profound changes and achieved a true great leap forward. After three decades of rapid growth, there are now close to 300,000 lawyers in China.
The presentation will review the evolution and current status of the Chinese legal profession through historical, cultural and professional lenses. In addition to the remarkable achievements, observations will be made on the many challenges faced by Chinese lawyers in practicing law in commercial, civil, administrative and criminal areas. Topics to be discussed will also include how Chinese lawyers are trying to expand their career horizon into new areas and their efforts for seeking a role to play in the political arena.
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Dr. Scott Guan is a senior partner of Zhong Lun Law Firm, a leading red circle firm in China, where he co-heads the firm’s mergers and acquisitions practice. Dr. Guan advises both Chinese and international clients on a wide range of sectors and has extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, PE and capital markets, resolution of complex cross-border disputes, and general corporate, contract, IP and business advice. Earlier in his career, Dr. Guan practiced law with leading Canadian and English law firms in Toronto (Blakes) and Hong Kong (Linklaters). He has been continuously recognized and recommended by international publications as a leading lawyer in China.
Dr. Guan is an adjunct professor at the Lawyers’ School of East China University of Political Science and Law, a faculty member of the Harvard-ECUPL executive training program on law firm leadership and an arbitrator of the Shanghai Arbitration Commission. Dr. Guan holds a doctor of juridical science (SJD) degree from the Faculty of Law, University of Toronto and is a recipient of the Arbor Award for outstanding service and alumni leadership.
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