2026 China Law Symposium: Deals, Disputes, and the Digital Frontier

Join the Harvard Law School China Law Association for the 2026 China Law Symposium, a three-day event exploring the deals, disputes, and digital questions shaping U.S.-China law today. Food will be provided at all panels, and after the final panel on Thursday, February 12th, there will be a post-Symposium reception (details forthcoming). RSVP here.

CLA is excited to present our Symposium! Here is our list of events:

Tuesday, February 10, 2026

12:20 PM – 1:20 PM Structuring Cross-Border Tech and Life Sciences Deals with China
Location: WCC 2009

Presented as part of the 2026 China Law Symposium, this panel explores how technology and life sciences companies structure, negotiate, and execute complex cross-border deals involving China and the broader Asia-Pacific region. Drawing on deep experience in regulatory strategy, licensing, and collaboration agreements, the speakers will discuss how legal, IP, and regulatory considerations shape transaction design—from pre-market approval to long-term partnership governance. The discussion will offer practical insights for navigating regulatory uncertainty while aligning commercial and innovation goals across jurisdictions.

Panelists include:

John C. Balzano, Partner at Covington & Burling’s New York office with over twenty years of experience in China/APAC regulatory issues, including NMPA and SAMR compliance;

Weishi Li, formerly a Covington partner for 12 years specializing in cross-border life sciences licensing and collaboration deals, now serving as a strategic advisor for several biotech companies;

Joanna Wu, Head of Operations and General Counsel, U.S., at NovaBridge Biosciences with extensive experience in the biotech industry; and

Jerry Xia, a Founding Partner of GEN Law Firm. Mr. Xia co-chairs the firm’s patent and trade secret practices and brings over 20 years of experience in private and in-house practice.

Lunch will be provided.

6:30 PM – 7:30 PM China’s Creative IP Boom: Short-Drama, Games & Designer IP Going Global
Location: WCC 1010

As part of the 2026 China Law Symposium, this session examines China’s creative industries—from video games and short-form drama to designer brands—which are rapidly expanding onto the global stage. This expansion raises novel questions of copyright, trademark enforcement, and cross-border IP strategy. The panel brings together industry counsel and leading IP litigators to examine how creative IP is protected, commercialized, and enforced internationally. Speakers will also reflect on landmark disputes and emerging trends shaping the globalization of China’s creative IP ecosystem.

Panelists include:

Hongbo Hei, General Counsel for HoYoverse (developer of Genshin Impact);

Crystal Mais, General Counsel for Crazy Maple Studio;

Jiansheng (Ron) Xu, Co-founder and Senior Partner at Sphere Logic Partners (SLP), who heads the firm’s international and IP practices and provides strategic counseling to MNCs and IP powerhouses; and

Kefeng Zhao, a Partner at GEN Law Firm and a seasoned litigator with over 20 years of experience in complex trademark, copyright, and trade secret disputes, with numerous cases recognized by China’s Supreme People’s Court.

Dinner will be provided.

Wednesday, February 11, 2026

12:20 PM – 1:20 PM Cross-Border Disputes Between China and the United States: Litigation, Arbitration, and Enforcement

Location: WCC 1019

Featured in the 2026 China Law Symposium, this panel addresses the deepening complexity of cross-border commerce and disputes involving multinational parties—particularly between China and the United States. The discussion examines litigation and arbitration strategies across jurisdictions, with perspectives spanning U.S. federal courts, international arbitration, e-commerce disputes, and patent enforcement.

Panelists include:

Jianjian Ye, Partner at Quinn Emanuel (New York) specializing in complex commercial litigation, M&A disputes, and asset tracing for Asian clients;

Mandy Song, Ph.D., Founding Partner and Managing Partner at Bayes Law and a patent specialist with nearly 20 years of experience in prosecution and litigation before the ITC and PTAB;

Yunlong Ronny Chen, barrister at Frederick Jordan Chambers (Australia) focusing on commercial litigation and international arbitration; and

Huawei Sun, Senior Counsel at Zhonglun Law Firm, and independent arbitrator specializing in international commercial and investment treaty arbitration. Ms. Sun has 20 years of experience navigating parallel proceedings and defending treaty claims, and currently serves as a HKIAC Council Member.

Lunch will be provided.

Thursday, February 12, 2026

12:20 PM – 1:20 PM Dispute Finance in China-Related Litigation and Arbitration

Location: WCC B015

This panel, part of the 2026 China Law Symposium, explores the growing role of litigation funding in shaping access to justice and litigation strategy in complex commercial and IP disputes. The session will explore how third-party funding operates in practice, its strategic implications for plaintiffs and defendants, and the regulatory and ethical considerations that accompany its expansion—particularly in cross-border and China-related disputes. The discussion will provide insight into how funding models are influencing litigation behavior and risk allocation.

Panelists include:

Prof. Maya Steinitz, visiting professor at Harvard Law School, a leading expert on litigation finance and arbitration;

Claire-Naïla Damamme, Investment Manager and Legal Counsel at Omni Bridgeway;

Edouard Fremault, Chief Strategy Officer & Managing Director APAC at Deminor, with 17 years of experience in funding and asset recovery; and

Tiana Zhang, Head of International Business at Hozu Capital. Ms. Zhang is a recognized expert in U.S.-China cross-border disputes and former Managing Partner of Kirkland & Ellis’s Shanghai office, with extensive experience in high-stakes government investigations and financial fraud litigation.

Lunch will be provided.

6:30 PM – 7:30 PM AI Governance in China: Regulation, Institutions, and Global Implications & Symposium Concluding Reception

Location: WCC 1010

As artificial intelligence reshapes global infrastructure, China is rapidly establishing one of the world’s most comprehensive regulatory frameworks for the technology. This panel concludes the 2026 China Law Symposium by examining the specific mechanisms of Chinese AI governance—from algorithm filing systems to the newly proposed “AI Law.” Moving beyond general comparisons, the discussion will analyze how these regulations are being implemented on the ground, their impact on cross-border development, and how China’s “experimentalist” regulatory approach contrasts with European and American models. Reception will follow after the panel discussion.

The panel features three scholars at the forefront of global AI policy:

Prof. Hui Zhou, Deputy Director of the Institute of Law at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), is a key architect of China’s digital legal framework. He played a central role in drafting the Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL) and China’s first draft model law on artificial intelligence, directly advising national regulators on policy design.

Prof. Yunya Song serves as Associate Head of the Division of Emerging Interdisciplinary Areas at HKUST and Director of the Media Intelligence Research Center. A pioneering voice in computational social science, she leads research on “AI imaginaries” and the societal impact of algorithmic media.

Prof. Yue Zhu, Professor at Tongji University and the lead author of the landmark Science article, “China’s emerging regulation toward an open future for AI” (Oct 2025), which analyzed the six pillars of China’s evolving AI safety regime.

Dinner will be provided for the panel talk and Chinese snacks will be provided for the reception.