Weiguo Yang

Practice Areas

William specializes in commercial litigation and arbitration, liquidation of companies and funds, and disposal of non-performing assets. The primary scope of his practice include: complex contract disputes, investment disputes, M&A and company control disputes, financial disputes concerning fund, securities and asset management, international trade disputes, real estate and construction engineering disputes, and product liability disputes.

Career

William joined Fangda as a partner in 2020. Before joining the firm, he was an Executive Partner of the Beijing Office of an established Chinese firm. Prior to that, William worked at another leading Chinese firm.

Professional Memberships

Commercial Arbitration Commission of Beijing Lawyers Association, Vice Director

China University of Political Science and Law, Adjunct Supervisor for Juris Master students

Experience

Landmark Cases:

-Represented Wahaha in its disputes against Danone, which was China’s largest series of joint venture and corporate control disputes, involving more than 50 litigation and arbitration proceedings across 7 jurisdictions with an amount in dispute exceeding USD 5 billion.

-Represented a limited partner of a private equity fund (LLP) in China’s first “derivative” arbitration case initiated by a limited partner against a third party outside the LLP, creating a new precedent and marking an innovative and influential step in expanding the scope of arbitration agreements in China.

-Represented a large securities company in China’s first case initiated by subscribers against managers of asset-backed securities for their alleged negligence.

-Represented a minority shareholder in China’s first case involving dissolution of the controlling shareholder of a listed company arising from shareholders’ lack of collaboration.

-Represented a reputable online gaming company in the first Chinese litigation case involving the Foreign Investment Law after it came into effect concerning the invalidity of an investment due to its conflict with the Negative List.

-Represented Hubei Gezhouba Sanlian Industrial Co., Ltd. and Hubei Pinghu Cruise Co., Ltd. in a product liability dispute against Robinson Helicopter Company, Inc. The case was the first PRC court judgment recognized and enforced by a U.S. court.

-Represented several PRC passengers involved in the MH370 international aviation accident in their claims against Malaysia Airlines.

Comples Domestic Commercial Disputes:

-Represented a reputable domestic private education organization in its disputes against foreign investors concerning the valuation adjustment mechanism in an equity investment. The amount in dispute was approximately RMB 1 billion.

-Represented a large listed company in a series of litigations against a real estate company concerning joint real estate development disputes with an amount in dispute of over RMB 2 billion.

-Represented an A+H share listed company in a dispute against a large SOE arising out of a real estate purchase agreement with an amount in dispute in the hundreds of millions of RMB.

-Represented a number of reputable state-owned and private enterprises in litigations concerning construction contract disputes in several High People’s Courts and the Supreme People’s Court with a total amount in dispute in the hundreds of millions of RMB.

-Represented China Power Engineering Construction Group and its affiliates in a series of complex construction litigation and arbitration cases arising out of construction contracts or purchase agreements.

Financial Disputes and Disposal of Non- Performing Assets:

-Represented a number of reputational banks and trusts, funds or investment institutions in multiple litigation and arbitration cases in relation to financial disputes, enforcement proceedings, bankruptcy proceedings or projects for the disposal of non-performing assets with a total amount in dispute of over RMB 10 billion.

-Provided comprehensive legal services to several large private equity and investment institutions in relation to their fund-related disputes, including disputes between limited partnership funds/unit trust funds and investees, disputes between GPs and LPs in a limited partnership funds, etc.

-Represented a reputational investment institution in an arbitration case arising out of its investment contract disputes against the unit trust fund manager and the trustee bank. The case involves a highly controversial legal issue in the field of private equities, which is the boundary of liabilities between managers and trustee banks.

-Established long term cooperation relationships with several large asset management companies, representing them in multiple dispute resolution and judicial disposition projects concerning non-performing assets.

Cross- border Dispute Resolution:

-Successfully represented a reputable domestic pharmaceutical company against an American company in an AAA international arbitration arising out of intellectual property and confidentiality agreements.

-Represented a large Chinese SOE in a HKIAC arbitration arising out a cross-border service agreement with an amount in dispute of several hundred million USD.

-Represented a prominent Japanese corporation in a SIAC arbitration arising out of a series of contracts for the international sale of goods against a large PRC state-owned iron and steel enterprise, and obtained a satisfactory settlement agreement for the client.

-Successfully represented a group of 10 Chinese trade companies in disputes against a foreign shipping company concerning Rule B maritime attachment orders before the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Legal Advisory Services and Others:

-Provided annual legal services to a number of prominent domestic and international enterprises, including Capital Airport Holding Company, Air China Cargo Co., Ltd., China National Complete Import & Export Group Co., Ltd., BBMG Corporation, TCL Group Corporation, Lei Shing Hong (China) Group, Accenture (China) Co., Ltd., Singapore RGE Group, etc.

-Represented clients listed at the top of Forbes’ China Rich List in family law disputes and asset management matters with amounts in dispute exceeding the tens of billions in RMB.

Education