International litigation and arbitration, cross-border investment and merges & acquisitions, and other foreign-related and cross-border legal affairs.
Walter Chen, FCIArb, FHKIArb, has been practicing law for 30 years and has a wealth of practical experience in transnational and cross-border arbitration, litigation and non-litigation. He is also one of the very few leading international dispute resolution lawyers and international arbitrators in China who can effectively handle cases in English.
Walter Chen has extensive experience in representing and assisting clients in handling complex and high value legal matters, as well as cases that have been accepted by overseas arbitral and judicial institutions such as the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC), the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC), the Chinese Courts of Law at all levels, the High Court of Hong Kong, and the United States District Courts, etc. or that have been dealt with by ad hoc arbitration (e.g. LMAA). The cases he has represented and assisted clients in handling include, among others, the international cooperation and RICO dispute between a US company and a Chinese automobile company heard respectively in a US federal district court and HKIAC with claimed amount of over USD 15 billion; the joint venture contract dispute brought by a US company against a Chinese Company in Hong Kong as ad hoc arbitration involving claimed amount of over RMB 10 billion; the refund guarantee dispute brought by a Singaporean ship owner against a Chinese bank in London under the LMAA Rules with claimed amount of over USD 30 million; the IP license and supply agreement disputes between GE/ABB and a Chinese company respectively heard in ICC Atlanta and HKIAC; and the M&A dispute brought by Toshiba against a giant Chinese electrical appliances group company heard in ICC Singapore.
In addition to being a counsel, Walter Chen has been an arbitrator for 24 years. Over the years, he sat as sole arbitrators, party-appointed arbitrators and presiding arbitrators in over 100 commercial cases in CIETAC, CMAC, HKIAC, DIFC-LCIA, CIETAC Hong Kong Center, BIAC, SCIA etc., applying among others UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules, HKIAC Rules, LCIA Rules, CIETAC Rules, BIAC Rules, SCIA Rules and SHAC Rules.
He was also involved in providing full legal services from contract drafting, review, negotiation and signing for the Jaguar Land Rover China Automotive Joint Venture project, which has a total investment of nearly RMB 20 billion. The project was recognized as the "The Deals of the Year 2012" by the Hong Kong-based China Business Law Journal.
The "Best Arbitration Lawyer of the Year (2024)" of the Lawyer Monthly, UK
The "Best Arbitration Lawyer of the Year (2023)" of the Lawyer Monthly, UK
The "Arbitration Lawyer of the Year (2022)" of the Lawyer Monthly, UK
"Outstanding Foreign Related Lawyer of Nanjing Bar Association" (2020-2022)
"Top 10 Lawyers of the Belt and Road" of China’s Legal Daily, 2018.
Member of the Leading Chinese Lawyers Dealing with Cross-Border Legal Affairs of All China Lawyers Association (ACLA)
Member of the "National Talent Bank of Lawyers for the ‘Belt and Road’ Cross-Border Projects" of All China Lawyers Association
Member of Talent Pool of Lawyers Dealing with Cross-Border Legal Affairs of the Ministry of Justice, China
Member of the "Leading Foreign Related Lawyers", Ministry of Justice, China
"Top 10 Lawyers Engaged in Cross-Border Legal Affairs" by Department of Commerce, Department of Justice, Bar Association, CCPIT Jiangsu Branch, Jiangsu Province, 2018.
The "Man of the Year 2016 in China’s Legal Service" selected jointly by China’s Legal Daily and Journal of China Lawyer and other mainstream media
The "Deals of the Year 2012" China Business Law Journal
Winner of the Nomination Award of Outstanding Young Jurist of Jiangsu Province, Jiangsu Law Society, 2010
Grandall Law Firm (Nanjing), Partner
Jin Ding Partners, Jiangsu, Partner, S.C(Senior Lawyer)
F.Y. Chen LLP, Jiangsu, Managing Partner
Jiangsu Foreign Law Offices, Attorney
Prior to practicing, Walter Chen used to be university teacher and research fellow of provincial academy of social sciences, conducting teaching and legal research.
University of Liverpool, UK, LLM in international business law
Fudan University, China, LLB in International Business Law
Anhui Normal University, China, B.A in English language and literature
University of Hamburg, Germany, participated in the Training Program for Lawyers Dealing with Cross-Border M&As, and interned at Hamburg Office, DLA Piper
University of Maryland, U.S., Visiting Scholar, interned at Washington D.C Office, Jones Day
Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb)
Fellow of the Hong Kong Institute of Arbitrators（FHKIArb）
Chair of International Arbitration Committee of Jiangsu Bar Association, Jiangsu Province
Member of Arbitration and Lawyers Mediation Committee of All China Lawyers Association (ACLA)
Member of ICC China Arbitration Committee
Member of Steering Committee of China Academy of Arbitration Law (CAAL)
Committee Member of Beihai Asia International Arbitration Centre, Singapore
Member of Advisory Panel for CCPIT as UNCITRAL Observer on Dispute Settlement
Expert with "Civil and Administrative Procuratorate Expert Consulting Network" of the No. 6 & 7 Procuratorate Departments of the Supreme People’s Procuratorate of the People’s Republic of China
Member of the Belt and Road International Lawyers Association (BRILA)
Member of Belt and Road Committee, LAWASIA
Expert Member of the International Commercial Expert Committee of the Nanjing International Commercial Court, China
Vice President of Jiangsu Yangtze River International Mediation Center
Steering Committee Member, and Vice President of the UK Sub-Association of Western Returned Scholars Association (Overseas-educated Scholars Association) of China
Member of Panel of Arbitrators of the Singapore International Arbitration Center (SIAC)
Member of Panel of Arbitrators of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC)
Member of Panel of International Arbitrators of the KCAB INTERNATIONAL( KCAB)
Member of the Distinguished Panel of Arbitrators of the Thailand Arbitration Center (THAC)
Member of Panel of Arbitrators of Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration (SCCA)
Member of Panel of Arbitrators of the Borneo International Center for Arbitration and Mediation (BICAM)
Member of Panel of Arbitrators of the Vietnam-China International Trade Arbitration Center (VCITAC)
Member of the Database of Arbitrators of London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA)
Member of the Internal Database of Arbitrators and Mediators of MCCI Arbitration & Mediation Center (MARC)
Member of Panel of Arbitrators of the International Commercial Dispute Prevention and Settlement Organization (ICDPASO)
Member of Panel of Arbitrators of China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC)
Member of Panel of Arbitrators of China Maritime Arbitration Commission (CMAC)
Member of Panel of Arbitrators of the Arbitration Center Across the Straits, China
Member of Panel of Arbitrators of Beijing International Arbitration Center (BIAC)
Member of Panel of Arbitrators of Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration (SCIA)
Member of Panel of Arbitrators of Hainan International Arbitration Court
Member of Panel of Arbitrators of Arbitration Commission of Shanghai, Chongqing，Guangzhou，Guiyang，Xian, Hefei, Nanjing etc.
Mediator of International Centre for Appropriate Dispute Resolution & Prevention
Mediator of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT)/China Chamber of International Commerce (CCOIC)
Southeast University, Law School, LLM Tutor
Nanjing Normal University, Law School, LLM Tutor
Zhongnan University of Economics and law and Universita Di Roma, LLM Tutor
Nanjing Science and Technology University, MBA & EMBA Tutor
China University of Political Science and Law, Institute of Arbitration, Part Time Research Fellow
One of the three-member Editorial Board (with Stephen Jagusch Q.C, Colin Ong Q.C) in four consecutive years (2021-2024), and co-author for China Chapter of the "CDR Essential Intelligence – Belt and Road Initiative" launched in London by the Global Legal Group, GLG.
Co-author of the "Insights on the Ruling of the Shanghai Maritime Court Recognizing Judgments of the English Courts" published by Asian Dispute Review (2023), a quarterly by HKIAC, CIArb EAB, HKIArb and HKMC.
Editor in Chief and contributor of "Chinese Lawyers in Action" series sponsored by All China Lawyers Association and published by Legal Press, China (2014-2018).
Author of Cross-Border Mergers & Acquisitions in China: Law and Practice (English, LexisNexis Hong Kong 2009).
Editor in Chief of the Legal Guidance for Establishing Corporations in 40 Countries and Regions (bilingual, LexisNexis, and China CITIC Press, 2008).
Executive Editor in Chief of a Practical Handbook of Laws and Regulations on China’s Enterprises Cross-Border Investment and Operation (Legal Press, 2007).
Prolific in publishing Chinese and English legal theses on domestic and foreign professional journals such as the International Lawyer, China Law & Practice, European Law Review, Chinese Lawyers.
S.C (Senior Counsel or Class One Lawyer), Jiangsu Provincial Board for Senior Lawyers Advanced Title Qualification Assessment, China
Chinese & English