Ronghua (Leslie) Shen

Career

From 2009 to 2010, Leslie was selected by the Ministry of Justice and the National Lawyers' Association to participate in the prestigious Lord Chancellor’s Training Scheme. During his time in London, Leslie worked at a world-renowned law firm and a leading Barristers' Chambers and studied English law at the University of London.After returning to China in 2010, Leslie joined the Shanghai representative office of a leading international law firm.

In recent years, Leslie has handled various shipping insurance cases involving jurisdictions of China, US, Britain, Bermuda, etc. Some case valued billions of US dollars. Leslie also has extensive experience in foreign investment and foreign legal services. Leslie has solved several new and tough disputes in financing and banking business areas, such as supply chain finance and investment funds. He has therefore a very good understanding of the financing and banking model as well as their nature and characteristics. Leslie has given a speech at the Global Counsel Conference in Geneva, and has been a guest speaker at the annual meeting of the national maritime law lawyers for several years.

Publications

1.China Overview, Getting the Deal Through - Aviation Liability 2020

2.Insurance & Reinsurance, Law and Practice China - Chambers Global Practice Guide 2019

3.China Overview, Getting the Deal Through - Aviation Liability 2019

Professional Memberships

Attorney SHEN has held various social positions, serving as an arbitrator or a committee member for multiple institutions. He is an arbitrator at the Shanghai International Arbitration Center and also holds the position of a deputy director of the Insurance Law Committee of the Shanghai Bar Association. Additionally, he is also a member of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Shanghai Bar Association and the Belt and Road Committee of LAWASIA, having made outstanding contributions to the foreign-related rule of law business in China.

Work Highlights

It is worth mentioning that attorney Leslie (Ronghua) SHEN is experienced in handling specialized dispute resolution in the insurance and corporate/commercial field. He has handled a number of complex disputes for large insurance companies, with the cases he has represented being highly regarded in the industry. Currently, attorney SHEN’s representative cases include, but are not limited to:

Represented a domestic credit insurance company and a large international shipping enterprise group in a series of post-guarantee risk disposal cases including insurance policies, leases, bankruptcies, and reinsurance, with a subject matter of approximately USD 1.6 billion;

Represented the Guangdong Branch of China Pacific Property Insurance Co., Ltd. in the dispute over damages to underwater facilities destructed by ships in Dongfang City. This is the first recovery case filed by the London market reinsurers through a direct insurer to a Chinese maritime court. Lasting for nearly 14 years, the amount of the case is huge and the legal relationship is complex. Attorney SHEN’s legal services have completely helped the client reverse its passive situation in the first instance of the original trial, fully safeguarding the rights and interests of the client;

Represented a Hong Kong trading company in handling its dispute with the Shanghai office of a Taiwan non-vessel operating common carrier (“NVOCC”) over releasing goods without the original bill of lading at the Port of Los Angeles, USA. The case involved the multi-fold, complex legal relationships among the various parties to the contracts for the international sale of goods, goods agency, and carriage of goods. Attorney SHEN eventually succeeded in obtaining a compensation of USD 1.1 million for the client；

Handled the dispute over the promotion and distribution agreement concerning a product between Eddingpharm (China) Co., Ltd. and GSK, a large-scale biopharmaceutical and healthcare company in the UK. The value of the subject matter in the case hit CNY 100 million, involving professional knowledge of pharmaceutical negotiation and pharmacoeconomics, etc.

Experience

2020 to date, SGLA Law Firm, Senior partner

2010 - 2020, Wintell & Co, Senior partner

2010 - 2017, Clyde & Co, Lawyer, Senior lawyer, Legal director

2006 - 2009, Hisun & Co, Lawyer

2005 - 2006, SG & Co, Lawyer

Practice Areas

Attorney Leslie (Ronghua) SHEN now serves as the senior partner and a member of the Management Committee of SGLA Law Firm Shanghai Office, as well as a member of the Executive Committee of SGLA. Since starting his practice in 2005, with his superb expertise and rich practical experience, attorney SHEN has handled a number of high-profile, multi-jurisdictional cases at home and abroad, and has become a top-notch lawyer in East China in the areas of shipping and logistics, insurance, foreign-related commercial business and business related to the Belt and Road legal services.

Personal

Senior Partner, SGLA Law Firm Shanghai Office

Clients

Attorney Leslie (Ronghua) SHEN has provided perennial and specialized legal services for many large state-owned enterprises and companies listed on the Fortune Global 500, with his major clients including but not limited to:

FORCHN Holdings Group Co., Ltd.: Founded in 1992, the client is headquartered in Shanghai and has set up management headquarters and regional operation centers in Hangzhou, Hong Kong, and Singapore, among other locations around the world. The client’s “EC World REIT (ECWO)” (Stock Code: BWCU) has already been listed on the Main Board of Singapore, pioneering the overseas listing of a logistics REIT in China;

SAIC Finance Co., Ltd.: A non-banking financial institution belonging to SAIC Motor Corporation Limited (A-Share Code: 600104), established in May 1994 in Shanghai with a registered capital of CNY 15.38 billion (including USD 10 million), which had been awarded the 2019 Shanghai Gold Quality Award by the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government;

Louis Dreyfus Company Suisse S.A.: The client is one of the world’s leading agricultural commodity trading and processing companies. It conducts diversified business operations globally, spanning the entire value chain from farms to tables. Each year, it produces, processes, and transports approximately 80 million metric tons of agricultural products worldwide, providing food and clothing to around 500 million people globally;

China Eastern Airlines Co., Ltd.: Assisted the client in handling various foreign-related local projects and disputes worldwide, including Asia-Pacific, Europe, Russia, the United States, Australia, etc. The specific legal services include issuing letters of legal opinions on compliance of overseas insurance policies, etc.;

LF Logistics (China) Co., Ltd.: The client’s business activities mostly involve such fields as shipping, international trade, and marine insurance, while its business disputes often involve a variety of complex legal relationships and two or more different jurisdictions as well. Attorney SHEN has not only provided non-litigation services for the client, but also resolved a large number of complicated disputes for it, including many foreign-related litigations and arbitration cases in the insurance field.

Languages Spoken

Mandarin, English

Expert in these Jurisdictions

In recent years, attorney SHEN has handled various cases involving jurisdictions of China, the U.S., Britain, Bermuda, etc. Some cases are valued at billions of dollars. With his solid practice knowledge, quick response, and excellent communication and coordination skills, attorney SHEN is well-reputed for promptly connecting lawyers from different jurisdictions as well as integrating and providing efficient legal services for clients. Additionally, attorney SHEN also pays great attention to expanding his influence in the industry and among client groups through various forms of online promotional methods.

Industry Sector Expertise

Attorney SHEN participated in a series of international arbitration events organized by the Shanghai International Centre for Dispute Resolution, as well as the Arbitration Week co-organized by SGLA Law Firm and the Lawyers Law Research Association of the Shanghai Law Society, which were co-assisted by the Shanghai International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission, Shanghai Arbitration Commission, Wuhan Arbitration Commission, Xi’an Arbitration Commission, Shenyang Arbitration Commission and the School of International Law of the Shanghai Academy of Political Science and Law, interacting with major ace lawyers and top experts in the industry in order to seize opportunities and gain inspiration from them.

Education

Awards