Richard represents companies and individuals in disputes and investigations, many of which contain a China component.
He also advises clients on foreign direct investment and on regulatory issues associated with investments in Asia. Many of his cases have concerned novel cross-border issues and have covered a wide spectrum of substantive areas—from contract disputes concerning failed joint ventures to trade secret infringement and economic espionage, to product liability, labor claims, toxic torts, professional liability, and antitrust. He is known for testing new theories and processes, including on issues of first impression related to electronic evidence in Chinese courts, the attorney-client privilege in the context of a China-related matter, the Hague service and evidence conventions, PRC data laws, and the enforcement of US court judgments in China. Richard also serves as a Chinese law expert witness in connection with US and foreign proceedings.
Expertise
Industries
Experience
Pro bono
Ayslum petition for Hmong couple from Laos related to persecution for wartime activities.
Published Work
- Proving Chinese law in the Courts of the United States: Surveying and Critiquing the Article 277 Cases, Amicus Curiae, March, 2021
- From the Central Sands to the Central Kingdom: Navigating Civil Litigation in China, Wisconsin Lawyer, May 2014
- Co-author, Permission Denied: The Curious Case of Exit Restrictions in Chinese Commercial Litigation, China Law & Practice, July/ August 2011
- Alternatives to Magistrate Justice: Merchant Guild Dispute Resolution and the Foreign Trader Driven Litigation and Arbitration Reforms of Late Imperial and Early Republican China, The Journal of Comparative Law, Vol. 4(2) (2009): 257-290
Speaking Engagements
- Presenter, Learning from Cases – Stratagems for Success in US Litigation, Classic Law Institute, Beijing, PRC Presenter, Practitioner Notes: Approaching Mediation in China-related Litigation in the United States, 4th Asian Mediation Association Conference, Beijing, PRC
- Presenter, Stratagems for Success in China-related US Commercial Litigation, Global General Counsels and Business Leaders Forum, Beijing, PRC
- US Legal Risk Management: Mitigating International Dispute, Trade, and Compliance Exposure, Liaoning Women’s Business Association Legal Seminar, Shenyang, PRC
- Managing US Dispute Risk: A Tool Kit for Chinese Companies, Beijing Lawyers Association, Beijing, PRC Commercial Law Reform: Learning from the Experience of Outbound Chinese Investors, The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Forum & International Symposium on the Rule of Law, Beijing, PRC
Leadership Positions And Professional Affiliations
- Fellow, Royal Asiatic Society
Qualifications
Admissions
Admitted to the bar in the State of Wisconsin, 2002
Admitted to the bar in the State of Illinois, 2005
Registered as a Foreign Lawyer with the Law Society of Hong Kong, 2021 and 2002-2004
Registered as a Foreign Lawyer with the PRC Ministry of Justice, 2016-2019 and 2011-2012
Academic
LLM., Chinese law, School of Oriental & African Studies, University of London, London, UK, 2008
JD, Law, George Washington University Law School, Washington, DC, USA, 2002
BA., Philosophy, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, USA, 1993
Languages
English
Disclaimer
A&O Shearman was formed on May 1, 2024 by the combination of Shearman & Sterling LLP and Allen & Overy LLP and their respective affiliates (the legacy firms). Any matters referred to above may include matters undertaken by one or more of the legacy firms rather than A&O Shearman.