GC Influencers
Most Influential GCs - China
Brent Irvin of Tencent Technology (Shenzhen) Co Ltd
Shenzhen-based Brent Irvin has served as Vice President and General Counsel at Tencent since 2009. He is also a board member of numerous technology and online gaming businesses, including Grinding Gear Games in New Zealand, Ola Cabs, Gaana and Dream11 in India as well as Tongcheng-Elong in China. Having gained a law degree from Stanford University and an MA in Asian Studies from Yale University, Brent’s legal career began at Shearman & Sterling LLP and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, both in California, where he was able to gain experience in general corporate matters, M&A and venture capital for high-profile technology clients before moving to China.
His current role includes a key role leading the in-house team on matters relating to IP enforcement, antitrust and corporate governance, as well as managing a sizeable team of around 200 lawyers. He is known to champion innovation and promote diversity at work, an example of the former being the establishment in 2012 of the Tencent Cyber Law Research Centre, as a way of sharing best practices in China.
Most Influential GCs - Global-wide
Brent Irvin of Tencent Technology (Shenzhen) Co Ltd
Brent Irvin is no stranger to technology investments, having practiced at Shearman & Sterling and Wilson Sonsini in California’s Silicon Valley for a number of years, with particular focus on venture capital investments and M&A deals. After accruing a wealth of experience in the start-up and technology space, he joined leading Chinese investment holding company Tencent in November 2009 and became part of an executive suite which has seen the Tencent explode onto the global stage and, at one stage, surpass Facebook in terms of market value at USD534 billion. Irvin’s role includes oversight over the company’s broad array of investments, which focus on the social media sector, gaming industry and finance, and its vast intellectual property portfolio. Outside of his day-tod-day activities, he also played a role in the establishment of the Tencent Cyberlaw Research Centre, a forum to spread best practice and offering wider resources in an effort to promote the improvement of internet and technology law.