Liang Ding

Practice Areas

Mr. Ding focuses on merger filing, antitrust litigation, antitrust investigation, and antitrust compliance. He has accumulated a vast amount of experience in his more than ten years of practice. Mr. Ding was one of the first Chinese lawyers to appear in the WTO, and is one of the first lawyers in China to have been in contact with and long engaged in the 337 investigation practice.

Career

Mr. Ding is the head of antitrust and competition practice at DeHeng Law Offices. Mr. Ding joined DeHeng Law Offices in 2013. Before joining DeHeng, he worked at King and Wood Mallesons, Dewey Ballantine LLP in DC, China National Textile Import & Export Corp, and the US International Law Institute.

Professional Memberships

Presidium member of Global Partners' Assembly

Head of the Competition Law Committee

The deputy head of International Trade Committee

The head of the Information Technology Committee

Publications

•Author of Lexology, China Chapter, Dominant Position, Digital Competition, Cartel Regulation, Vertical Agreements, and Antitrust Private Litigation (2018-2026)

•Author of the China chapter of Legal 500 "Merger Control" (2023-2025)

•Author of the China chapter of ICLG's Merger Control, Cartel and Leniency, Vertical Agreements and Dominant Firms, Antitrust Litigation, and Government Procurement (2016-2026)

•Financier, Annual Review of Data Protection and Privacy Law (2019)

•Global Insights GLI Merger Control (2017)

•One of the authors of the "Practical Guide to China's Anti-Monopoly Law" by Wolters Kluwer ("CCH") (2010)

Clients

•Cosco Shipping Lines Co., Ltd

•China Mobile Communications Corporation

•China National Petroleum Corporation

•Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd

•AnSteel Group Co., Ltd

•China Copper Co., Ltd.

•Volkswagen (China) Investment Co., Ltd

•Danfoss A/S

•Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited

•SF Express Co., Ltd

•Guangzhou Shein International Import and Export Co., Ltd

•Aircraft Maintenance & Engineering Corporation

•CR Power Holdings Co., Ltd

Work Highlights

Merger Control Filing

•Ansteel’s acquisition of Lingyuan Iron and Steel Group’s equity

•COMAC/CATL JV

•CATL/Tianqi Lithium JV

•CBL/Antam JV

•Danfoss A/S’s acquisition of Eaton’s certain business

•South Korea OCI's acquisition of Japan Tokuyama Malaysia’s equity

•Yihai Kerry Arowana Company/SF Express Co., Ltd. JV

•SF Express' acquisition of Kerry Logistics’ equity

•Zhuzhou Innovation/Fengyi Technology JV

•Fulin Transportation/Fengyi Technology JV

•Volkswagen China/Jiangsu Wanbang/FAW-Volkswagen/JAC JV

•JAC/Volkswagen JV

•Volkswagen China/FAW-Volkswagen/SAIC-Volkswagen JV

•Changan Automobile's acquisition of Changan Suzuki's equity

•Mazda's acquisition of Changan Ford Mazda engine

•Volkswagen China/FAW-Volkswagen JV

•JNCEC/China Resources Power JV

•Suzhou INNOLIGHT/Recodeal JV

•CIIC Group and Tianjin Yuanfeng’s acquisition of CITIC Outsourcing Group’s equity

•Shandong Gold’s acquisition of Canadian Barrick’s Argentine gold mine equity

•Shandong Gold’s acquisition of Hengxing Gold’s equity

•Jindun State-owned Capital Investment's acquisition of Baoding Technology equity

•COSCO Shipping Lines/Guangxi Beibu Gulf JV

•Hangzhou Zhongtai Deep Cryo Technology Co., Ltd./POSCO Holdings Inc. JV

•Tianjin Youfa Steel Pipe Group Co., Ltd./Yunnan Yunlin Metal Products Co., Ltd. JV

•Country Garden's acquisition of Blu-ray Jiabao's equity

•Country Garden's acquisition of Fuliang Global's equity

•Yuyuan’s acquisition of Jinhui wine industry’s equity

•Yuyuan‘s acquisition of Shede liquor industry’s equity

•MaxMara distributor Linma Shanghai’s acquisition of a MaxMara distributor Huamidon Asset Management’s business

Antitrust Litigation

•Represented Ningbo Magnetic Materials Enterprise v. Hitachi Metals in the case of abuse of its dominant market position

•Represented Qihoo 360 in Qihoo 360 v. Tencent for abuse of dominant market position

•Represented Hytera Communications Co., Ltd. v. Motorola monopoly civil dispute

•Represented Qihoo 360 in Mi Shi Technology v. Qihoo 360 for abuse of dominant market position

•Represented YY in YY v. NetEase abuse of dominant market position

•Participated in Huawei v. IDC for abuse of dominant market position

•Participated in Huawei v. Samsung for abuse of dominant market position

Antitrust Investigation

•Represented a well-known international car company in responding to the antitrust investigation of the horizontal monopoly agreement of SAMR

•Representing a state owned enterprise (“SOE”) in responding to SAMR’s antitrust investigation on abuse of its dominant market position

•Represented a SOE in responding to the antitrust investigation of a horizontal monopoly agreement by the Zhejiang Provincial Administration for Market Regulation

•Represented a pharmaceutical sales company in responding to SAMR’s antitrust investigation on abuse of its dominant market position

•Provided analytical opinions on the antitrust investigation of a large Internet company's abuse of market dominance

•Provided analytical opinions on the antitrust investigation of a large pharmaceutical company's vertical monopoly agreement

•Provided analytical opinions on issues related to anti-monopoly, national security, and franchise rights involved in a leading global terminal operator 's sale of equity stake

•Provided analytical opinions on the antitrust investigations of horizontal monopoly agreements among multiple cement enterprises

•Represented API companies in response to the antitrust investigation of horizontal monopoly agreement by Tianjin Market Supervision and Administration Commission

•Representing a local SOE in the antitrust investigation of the abuse of market dominance by the Tianjin Municipal Market Supervision and Administration Commission

•Represented a pharmaceutical company in responding to the antitrust investigation of horizontal monopoly agreement by the Shanghai Municipal Administration for Market Regulation

•Represented a large cement company in responding to the antitrust investigation of the horizontal monopoly agreement of the Jilin Provincial Administration for Market Regulation

•Represented a shipping company in responding to the National Development and Reform Commission (“NDRC”)'s antitrust investigation on abuse of dominant market position and successfully terminated the investigation

•Represented an internationally renowned pharmaceutical company in responding to the antitrust investigation by NDRC and the Shanghai Price Bureau

•Represented Jiangsu chemical enterprises in responding to the antitrust investigation of the horizontal monopoly agreement of the Jiangsu Provincial Price Bureau and successfully suspended the investigation

•Represented a tobacco company in its antitrust investigation by the State Administration for Industry and Commerce

Antitrust compliance

•Advised hundreds of enterprises on anti-monopoly compliance, drafted anti-monopoly guidelines, assessed merger control notification, and provided anti-monopoly training

•Built anti-monopoly compliance systems for dozens of enterprises, conducted anti-monopoly compliance reviews on business models, business behaviors, distribution agreements, etc., provided anti-monopoly audits, simulated dawn raids, and formulated anti-monopoly investigation cooperation processes

Export Control and Economic Sanction

•Assessed export control and trade sanction compliance risks related to Russian operations for dozens of enterprises across aviation, petroleum, engineering, machinery, logistics, electronics, minerals, chemicals, electric powerand other industries, and issued due diligence and compliance assessment reports

•Provided compliance solutions on U.S. export controls and economic sanctions for multiple state-owned enterprises (SOEs), and developed full-process compliance guidelines including Export Control Compliance Guidelines and Trade Compliance Guidelines

•Collaborated with U.S. law firms to provide full-range legal services on export controls for a well-known new energy enterprise in its U.S. business operations and cooperation

•Assisted a listed Chinese company in emergency legal services responding to a U.S. company’s suspension of contract performance on the grounds of U.S. export controls

•Assisted a STAR Market-listed enterprise in responding to an export control compliance investigation by officials from the U.S. Department of Commerce

•Developed compliance risk review and verification programs on export controls and economic sanctions for a leading TMT enterprise

•Advised a U.S. medical device company on rare earth export license applications and interpretation of China’s export control rules, including analysis of the extraterritorial jurisdiction framework under China’s export control regime and policy interpretation of China-U.S. negotiations

•Cooperated with U.S. law firms to provide UFLPA compliance and supply chain traceability services for a large technology enterprise

•Conducted on-site investigations of supply chain enterprises for a major cross-border e-commerce company and issued a comprehensive traceability assessment report

•Represented a large automobile manufacturer in responding to investigations concerning alleged violations of UN sanctions resolutions

•Assisted dozens of clients in establishing corporate export control and trade compliance management systems, drafting internal export control policies and compliance manuals, evaluating trade risks, and rectifying export control and trade compliance issues

•Provided assessment opinions and investment structure design for a large technology enterprise setting up a manufacturing facility in Indonesia to meet U.S. rules of origin requirements

•Performed rules of origin assessment and U.S. origin qualification risk analysis for an auto parts manufacturer planning to build a plant in Thailand

•Prepared Country Sanction Investigation Report on Russia and Country Sanction Investigation Report on Cuba for a central state-owned enterprise, and provided legal opinions on sanction issues encountered in the implementation of Russian and Cuban projects

•Provided legal analysis and handling suggestions for a chemical enterprise regarding dock berthing of vessels involved in Iran-related sanctions

•Developed and implemented export control and sanctions compliance programs for a large petrochemical enterprise sanctioned due to its Russia-related business

•Provided ongoing legal services on export control and trade compliance for a well-known aircraft maintenance enterprise

•Conducted full-range export control and economic sanctions compliance analysis for a cross-border e-commerce platform’s Russian business and provided operational implementation plans

•Performed sanctions risk assessment for a large enterprise purchasing Russian helicopters.

•Provided export control and economic sanctions compliance plans for a state-owned enterprise in its acquisition of a chip packaging business

•Assisted an internationally renowned e-commerce platform in responding to an investigation by the MOFCOM’s Security Administration Bureau over alleged violations of technology export controls

•Conducted export-controlled item assessment and analysis for a crystal material manufacturer, and applied for an export license exemption from the MOFCOM, which was recognized by the Security Administration Bureau

Industry Sector Expertise

International Trade, Antitrust & Competition

Expert in these Jurisdictions

International Trade, Antitrust & Competition

Languages Spoken

Chinese/English

Education

Awards