Firm’s focus on China is enhanced by arrival of top attorneys
WASHINGTON, D.C., January 27, 2005 – LAWFUEL – The Law News Network – Holland & Knight LLP boosts its presence in the China market with the addition of two distinguished attorneys to its International Business Practice. Richard “Tad” Ferris, Partner, and Hongjun Zhang, Senior Counsel, will spearhead the expansion of the firm’s client services in the areas of regulatory and government relations issues affecting clients with interests in China. The addition of these attorneys also will increase the firm’s strategic reach into this dynamic market, where the firm opened an office in 2004.
“We are enthused at adding two such talented colleagues to an international practice group that includes several others that already have been building a strong presence in China,” said Neal Beaton, International Business Team Leader. “With their addition, we will be even better able to serve our diverse U.S. and non-U.S. clients in connection with their activities in this area of the world.”
Richard “Tad” Ferris, who was recently recognized as one of the Washington area’s best international trade attorneys by Washingtonian Magazine, brings more than a decade of experience in helping multinational corporations and other entities develop and implement successful investment strategies that minimize legal and other risks in the China market. He advises clients on a wide range of regulatory, trade and government relations issues associated with international business, including product stewardship, materials restrictions, transport, technology transfer, product import and export, end-of-life product and material disposition, worker health and safety, labor management, emergency planning, project finance and approvals, real estate transactions and negotiations with Chinese and other developing-country government authorities and international institution secretariats. Mr. Ferris also counsels clients on emerging issues in the China region associated with corporate social responsibility programs and standards.
In China, Mr. Ferris has extensive experience counseling multinational clients in a wide range of industry sectors. These include the biotechnology, chemical, coatings, consumer product, electronics, food and beverage, mining, pharmaceutical, infrastructure development, telecommunications, textile, toy, utility, waste management and other sectors. He has acted as a consultant for United Nations organizations, development banks and foreign government institutions and agencies. He also counsels trade associations, corporations, governments and law firms in compliance assistance work involving project safeguard policies and procedures of U.S. and multilateral development institutions, particularly where projects are sited in developing countries such as China.
Mr. Ferris serves as a chair of the China Task Force at the U.S. Council for International Business and is a member of the China Investment Task Force of the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD. He currently serves as vice chair of the ABA section on Environment, Energy and Resources. He pursued his legal studies in China before starting these studies in the United States. He received his J.D. and an LL.M. degree in Comparative and International Legal Studies from Duke University School of Law in 1994, a masters in East Asian Studies from the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University in 1988, and a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Clark University in 1984. He is fluent in Mandarin, speaks Southern Min, Fukkienese and Japanese, and reads French. He is admitted to practice in Washington, D.C. and Massachusetts.
Hongjun Zhang, Ph.D. advises clients on government relations, occupational health and safety, environmental protection, market access, investment and trade issues in China and other Asian jurisdictions. He has extensive experience working with Fortune 100 multinational companies on a broad range of matters involving project approval and permit, environmental impact assessment, dangerous chemical safety management, chemical import and export, risk management, product stewardship and biotechnology. His clients include members of the chemicals, electronics, consumer products, agriculture, energy, paper, real estate, retail, and food and beverage industries.
Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Dr. Zhang served as a director in the Legislative Office of China’s National People’s Congress, and was responsible for drafting, implementing and enforcing a wide range of China’s environment, economic development and investment laws and statutes. Prior to his position at the National People’s Congress, Dr. Zhang held senior policy and planning positions at the executive agency level in the Chinese government. He has served as a legal advisor to key officials in China’s National People’s Congress on matters related to multilateral treaties, and regularly communicates with enforcement and other regulatory officials throughout the world.
Dr. Zhang is the only lawyer invited by President Clinton to participate in the President’s Round Table in Guilin, Guangxi Province, during the President’s visit to China in 1998. He has a Ph.D. in Law from Beijing University and an LL.M. from Harvard Law School. He also received his legal training at American, Harvard, New York and Yale Universities, Uppsala University in Sweden, Nijenrode University in the Netherlands, and Chiang Mai University in Thailand. He holds a senior research fellow position at Harvard University and serves on the board of directors of the Energy Foundation. Dr. Zhang is a member of the New York State Bar and the American Bar Association, and is admitted to practice in China.
About Holland & Knight LLP: Holland & Knight is a commercial law firm with more than 1,250 lawyers in 26 offices in the United States. Internationally, offices are located in Beijing, Mexico City, and Tokyo, with representative offices in Helsinki, Caracas and Tel Aviv, and strategic alliance relations in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, Brazil. Holland & Knight is among the 15 largest firms worldwide, providing representation in all major areas of law. www.hklaw.com
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