On 12 November 2023, King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) received three prestigious awards in recognition of the outstanding contributions to legal services related to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The accolades were presented during the Fifth Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Legal Service Typical Cases Conference, hosted by Legal Daily and organised by legaldaily.com in Beijing. The event brought together more than 200 guests from the Supreme People’s Court, the Ministry of Justice, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, the China Law Society, the Belt and Road International Lawyers Association (BRILA), arbitration institutions, law schools, law firms and enterprises. Wu Wei and Wang Yue, partners of KWM, were present in the event and received the awards on behalf of the firm.
The Conference unveiled ten typical cases each on BRI Dispute Resolution, BRI Investment, BRI Compliance, and BRI Innovative Legal Services. It also honoured three individuals and three organisations acknowledged for their special contributions. KWM was recognised in the following categories:
- Special Contributor (Organisation) in BRI Legal Services
- Typical Case on BRI Dispute Resolution: The independent guarantee fraud dispute between China CAMC Engineering Co., Ltd. and Sinohydro Engineering Bureau 4 Co., Ltd. (Huang Tao, Tian Wenjing, Wang Yue, Dai Yue)
- Typical Case on BRI Compliance: A well-known Chinese bank’s response to an investigation initiated by the Office of the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO) under the World Bank, involving an amount of USD 286 million. (Wu Wei, Zhu Yuanyuan)
Wu Wei (second from right) received the award at the event.
Wang Yue (fifth from left) received the award at the event.
Wu Wei (third from left) received the award at the event.
The Conference also featured roundtable discussions on “How to Provide High-Quality Legal Services for the High-Quality Development of BRI” and “Demand and Services in BRI-related Overseas Compliance Business”. During the latter, Wu Wei shared her insights, stating, “Chinese enterprises participating in the BRI or other ‘going global’ projects rely on the guarantee of compliance management systems. Only by establishing an effective compliance system can they prevent and reduce compliance risks, and navigate the challenges and opportunities on the ‘Belt and Road’.”
Wu Wei (first from right) was present in the roundtable session
KWM Belt & Road Center for International Cooperation and Facilitation
KWM Belt & Road Center for International Cooperation and Facilitation (BRCICF), established by KWM in 2019, serves as a comprehensive professional service platform integrating legal services, think tank studies, advisory services, and international cooperation. As an international, diverse and innovative legal service provider, KWM’s BRCICF aims to connect the government and enterprises, providing high-level professional services to both Chinese and foreign participants exploring opportunities brought by the BRI. Over the past five years, BRCICF has actively implemented the BRI. This has been demonstrated through a range of initiatives, including organising a lecture series on “How Chinese Enterprises Can Win in International Arbitration” and releasing the annual “Think Tank Report: Law and Practice under the Belt & Road Initiative”. It has also conducted research on such topics as “Legal Issues in the BRI Projects” while actively promoting international cooperation and safeguarding overseas rights and interests.
