Chinese Business Lawyers Association Announces New Directors

NEW YORK, Oct. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Chinese Business Lawyers Association ("CBLA"), the leading social and professional organization focused on Chinese legal issues, today announces the election of five board members. Returning board members Mr. Steve Chen, Ms. Esther Chiang, Mr. Simon Mui, and Ms. Xiaoyan Zhang are joined by re-elected board members Ms. Meng Ru and Mr. Geoffrey Sant, as well as by newly-elected board members Mr. Dan Tan, Mr. Ko-Yung Tung, and Mr. Shiyong Ye.

Of the five elected board members, three teach at leading law schools, and four are either partners or counsel at their law firms. Three are on the faculty of four different law schools: Fordham University School of Law (Mr. Geoffrey Sant); Harvard Law School (Mr. Dan Tan); Stanford Law School (Mr. Dan Tan); and Yale Law School (Mr. Ko-Yung Tung). The elected board members also include last year's winner of the CBLA Lawyer of the Year Award, Mr. Ko-Yung Tung.

Mr. Geoffrey Sant, one of the re-elected directors, commented: "We are thrilled and honored to be joined by such influential figures in the Chinese legal and business community. Last year, when we selected Mr. Ko-Yung Tung as our CBLA Attorney of the Year, we did so because of his outstanding career, including founding a law firm, serving as general counsel to the World Bank, serving as an adjunct professor at Yale Law School, and his endless efforts to mentor and assist young attorneys and the Chinese community. We had no idea he would throw his hat in the ring to join the CBLA board of directors – but we couldn't be any happier now that he has joined us!"  Geoffrey Sant also commented, "Adding Mr. Dan Tan and Mr. Shiyong Ye is a tremendous coup for our organization.  Both are partners at boutique law firms focusing on international law, and they bring important new perspectives to our organization."

Esther Chiang, a director of the CBLA, stated, "In recent years, the CBLA has increasingly collaborated with major law schools. For example, we have assisted the development of law school students' burgeoning careers through career panels and mentoring programs, and we have also held major conferences and seminars at leading law schools, including Fordham University School of Law, NYU School of Law, and Tsinghua University in China, to name a few. By adding directors who are on the faculty of leading law schools, we can increase our ability to form partnerships and joint events with these law schools. I, for one, am extremely excited about this new year!"

Mr. Dan Tan is the name partner and founder of Dan Tan Law, a leading boutique law firm focusing on international arbitration, with offices in both New York and California. Mr. Tan teaches international arbitration and international investment law at Harvard Law School and Stanford Law School. Prior to being selected to the CBLA board of directors, Mr. Tan was a Vice President of the CBLA. Simon Mui, a fellow CBLA director, stated, "I have already been working with Dan Tan on expanding the CBLA's presence on the West Coast through events at Stanford Law School and other locations. To have Dan Tan on the board of directors is fantastic. "

Ko-Yung Tung is a Senior Counselor at Morrison & Foerster, one of the world's largest law firms. He teaches law and economic development at Yale Law School, and was the former Vice President and General Counsel of the World Bank. He previously served as a senior partner at O'Melveny & Myers, was the Secretary General of the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), and also founded his own law firm. Mr. Tung was honored by the Chinese Business Lawyers Association last February as the Lawyer of the Year. Mr. Tung has long been active in the CBLA, including speaking at CBLA conferences at Fordham University School of Law, Tsinghua University, and Yale Law School during the past year.

Shiyong Ye is a leading partner at the boutique firm of Reid & Wise LLC. Like Dan Tan, Shiyong Ye was a Vice President of the Chinese Business Lawyers Association prior to being selected as a director. Mr. Ye's past experience includes U.S. and PRC law firms, as well as working for the U.S. government. Mr. Simon Mui, a fellow director, commented, "Shiyong Ye represents many clients in the energy field, such as power grids, carbon funds, and oil and gas exploration companies. This background in energy production provides an angle that hasn't really been represented in the CBLA board of directors before."

In addition to the new directors, two current directors were reelected: Geoffrey Sant and Meng Ru. 

Meng Ru is an attorney at Akin Gump, a leading international law firm, and is one of the founders of the Chinese Business Lawyers Association. Ms. Ru has served as the CBLA's treasurer, and has organized key conferences on international financing. Ms. Ru's work at Akin Gump focuses on private equity and corporate finance. "We are excited to keep Meng Ru with us for another year," said Xiaoyan Zhang, a director of the CBLA. "She has been a leader of the organization from its inception, and we are thrilled to welcome her back for another year."

Geoffrey Sant remains the only non-ethnically Chinese member of the board of directors of the Chinese Business Lawyers Association. Mr. Sant is Special Counsel at Dorsey & Whitney, and is an adjunct professor of banking litigation at Fordham University School of Law. He is also President of the Board of Directors of the New York Chinese Cultural Center. Esther Chiang stated, "In the past year, Mr. Sant organized conferences at Fordham University, NYU, Tsinghua University, Xiamen University, and Yale. We're delighted to have him remain on our team."

Catherine Pan, a partner at Dorsey & Whitney and a founding member of the CBLA board of directors, has stepped down from the board in order to make room for the new directors. At the request of the board, she agreed to continue serving the CBLA, now in the role of its pro bono counsel. Ms. Meng Ru, a director of the CBLA, said, "We are very fortunate and honored that Catherine Pan has agreed to serve as our pro bono counsel. We thank her and her law firm for their continuing contributions to the CBLA!"

About the Chinese Business Lawyers Association

The Chinese Business Lawyers Association ("CBLA") is the leading association of legal and business professionals involved in or interested in law and business in the U.S. and China. The CBLA, a non-profit organization, sponsors quarterly seminars on Chinese legal topics, as well as monthly chats and regular social networking events relating to business and law in China.  Approximately one-fourth of the top-25 most prestigious law firms in the nation (according to Vault rankings) are represented within the Directors and Officers of the CBLA. The CBLA's website is www.cblalaw.org.

Contact: Esther Chiang
Phone: 1-212-848-4307
Director, Chinese Business Lawyers Association

SOURCE Chinese Business Lawyers Association