Zhe Deng

Practice Areas

TMT (Media & Entertainment)

Dispute Resolution (Litigation & Arbitration)

Corporate & Commercial

Investment, Financing & M&A

Intellectual Property

Career

Mr. Deng has over a decade of experience advising corporates, listed companies, financial institutions, industrial capital and high-growth startups. His work spans the full transaction cycle and dispute lifecycle, covering corporate governance, M&A, private equity and venture financing, fund structuring, syndicated lending, IPO-related matters, as well as IP and media/entertainment-related mandates. He is particularly active in TMT and the broader cultural and content sectors, where he supports clients on complex commercial arrangements, platform rules and IP risk management, and related disputes.

Professional Memberships

Deputy Director, Mediation Business Research Committee, Shanghai Bar Association（上海市律师协会调解委员会副主任）

Debate Coach, Shanghai Lawyers Debate Team（上海律师辩论队教练）

ESG Public Welfare Ambassador（ESG 慈善大使）

Expert Volunteer, “Yixin Weigong” Public Interest Initiative, Shanghai People’s Procuratorate（上海市人民检察院 “益心为公” 专家志愿者）

Director, New Media Association - Fudan University EMBA Program（复旦大学 EMBA 新媒体协会理事）

Adjunct Supervisor (Juris Master Programme), Shanghai Jiao Tong University（上海交通大学兼职法律硕士导师）

Career & Entrepreneurship Mentor, Shanghai University of Political Science and Law（上海政法学院就业创业导师）

Inaugural Mediator, North Bund (Hongkou, Shanghai) Multi-Dispute Resolution Center (NBADR)（上海市虹口北外滩多元商事调解中心创始调解员）

Permanent Judge, Hubei Provincial University Copyright Debate Competition（湖北省版权局主办高校版权辩论赛常驻评委）

Standing Vice President, Shanghai Hubei Enshi Chamber of Commerce（上海市湖北商会恩施分会执行会长）

Chief Moderator, Chinese Debate Network（华语辩论网总版主）

Publications

Books

Scientific Logic Methods for Legal Reasoning（《法律思维中的科学逻辑方法》）, Central China Normal University Press, 2014

A Course in Legal Logic (3rd Edition)（《法律逻辑学教程（第 3 版）》）, Higher Education Press, June 2013

A Casebook on Legal Logic（《法律逻辑学案例教程》）, Fudan University Press, May 2009

Articles

Organizational Development and Talent Management in the Legal Profession: Challenges and Possible Pathways（《律师业组织建设和人才管理的现实难题及可能路径》）, Shanghai Lawyers, Issue 2, 2024

A Survey of Major Mediation Models in China（《关于我国主要调解形态现状的调研报告》）, White Paper of the Shanghai Bar Association, March 2020

An Overview of Industry-Sector Mediation in China（《我国行业调解现状概览》）, Shanghai Lawyers, Issue 2, 2020

Practice Guidelines for Handling Commercial Litigation Matters（《律师办理商事诉讼业务流程规范指引》）, Practice Guidelines of the Shanghai Bar Association, June 2019

The Dialectics of Young Lawyers' Growth（《青年律师成长辩证法》）, Shanghai Lawyers, Issue 8, 2018

Life Is a Journey—and So Am I（《人生如逆旅 我亦是行人》）, Shanghai Lawyers, Issue 7, 2017

Everyone Says Debaters Are Obsessed, But Who Truly Understands Their Intentions（《都云辩者痴 谁解其中味》）, in Feast of Ideas, Ode to the City（《思想的盛宴 城市的欢歌》）, 2013

Can We Have It Both Ways? Saving Face Without Losing Money（《世间安得两全法 不伤感情不伤钱》）, Marie Claire（《嘉人》), Issue 12, 2013

A Life of Abundance （《最多的生活》）, Shanghai Lawyers, Issue 11, 2012

The Journey（《征途》）, in A Century of Lawyers' Journey, A Lifelong Commitment to the Rule of Law（《百年律师路 风雨法治情》）, 2012

Steve Jobs and the Spirit of Capitalism（《乔布斯与资本主义精神》）, The Week（《东方壹周》）, Issue 17, 2011

On the Uncertainty of Legal Interpretation（《论法律解释的不确定性》）, Guide to Business（《企业导报》）, February 2010

Clients

Youzu Games Hong Kong Ltd.

Shenzhen Yiyi Yiyi Culture Media Co., Ltd.

AInnovation Technology Group Co., Ltd.

Suofeiya Home Collection Co., Ltd.

Tencent Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.

Emperor Entertainment Group

Shanghai Gfund Wealth & Asset Management Co., Ltd.

Shanghai Dayin Xisheng Film Co., Ltd.

Shanghai Qixin Yongyan Investment Co., Ltd.

Ningbo Meishan Bonded Port Area Youning Investment Partnership (Limited Partnership)

Zhejiang Pingxingzhe Information Technology Co., Ltd.

Zhejiang Fanzhen Cultural Communication Co., Ltd.

Shanghai Yougaoya Architectural Decoration Co., Ltd.

Shanghai Jiafeng Food Co., Ltd.

Beijing Kunyuan Wenbo Exhibition Co., Ltd.

Experience

January 2011 - February 2012: Shanghai Fan Zhongxing Law Firm, Trainee

March 2012 - September 2012: Shanghai Singrights Law Offices,Associate

October 2012 - March 2016: Shanghai Zhongmao Law Firm, Associate

March 2016 - May 2025: Guantao Law Firm, Senior Partner

May 2025 - Present: Hengdu Law Firm, Managing Director

Industry Sector Expertise

Media & Entertainment / Pan-cultural: IP licensing, content compliance, production financing, distribution and performance-related dispute management.

Platforms / Internet: platform rules, advertising & marketing compliance, user/content risk control, and related disputes.

IP & Brand Protection: trademark/copyright strategy, enforcement, unfair competition and commercial dispute coordination.

Financial Services: transaction structuring, risk isolation, syndicated/structured financing support, dispute prevention and resolution.

Consumer & Retail / Manufacturing: product and advertising compliance, supply-chain commercial arrangements, and dispute management.

Cross-border elements: coordinating PRC law issues in deals/disputes with multi-jurisdiction aspects.

Expert in these Jurisdictions

Mainland China

Languages Spoken

Chinese

Work Highlights

Mr. DENG has extensive cross-sector experience spanning TMT, media and entertainment, finance, consumer goods, manufacturing, and energy. He advises clients across the full lifecycle of transactions and disputes, combining commercial understanding with dispute-oriented risk control. Representative clients include Tencent, Xiaomi, China Resources Group, Bank of China, China Cinda, Nestlé, Emperor Entertainment Group, Laifen, Shanghai Shendi (Group) Co., Ltd., and Suofeiya Home Collection.

In the entertainment and pan-cultural sector, he provides end-to-end support covering IP licensing, content compliance, production financing, distribution arrangements, and performance management, with experience advising clients including Xiaoguo Culture and “The Three-Body Universe.”

In manufacturing and consumer retail, he supports clients on product and advertising compliance, commercial risk control, and dispute management. In financial services, he assists banks, securities firms, trust companies and asset managers in transaction structuring, risk isolation, and implementation, demonstrating an ability to deliver integrated legal solutions across both traditional and emerging industries.

Awards

Education