(Roundtable 1) SCLA Annual Global Legal Leaders Dialogue and New Year’s Eve Countdown Dinner

SCLA 2020 Global Legal Leaders Dialogue and New Year’s Eve Countdown Dinner will be held on December 31, 2020, from 8:30 pm to January 1, 2021, at 0:30 am on the 3rd floor of Shenzhen Venice Hotel.

Since August 1, 2002, Counsellor Xiaobing Tang has been working in the Market Access Division of the World Trade Organization on non-agricultural market access, trade facilitation, information technology products, and other market access issues related to trade in goods. From November 1987 to July 2002, he worked in the Division on International Trade in Goods and Services and Commodities of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). He studied trade policy, trade law, and multilateral trade negotiations. From March 1986 to October 1987, worked in UNCTAD’s Manufacturing Division on issues related to trade policy and multilateral trade negotiations as a specialist in international trade in textiles and subsequently as an economic affairs officer in the International Textiles and Clothing Bureau (ITCB). From December 1978 to March 1986, he worked in the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation (MOFTEC), China’s Ministry of Public Relations as a trade official, negotiating China’s accession to the Multi-Fiber Agreement under the GATT. He also participated in the multilateral negotiations on China’s accession to the WTO and contributed to China’s accession.

Christoph Spennemann is a legal expert at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). He holds a Master’s degree in International Economic Law and European Law from the University of Lausanne and the University of Geneva (Switzerland). In addition, he studied law at the University of Passau, the University of Freiburg (Germany), and the University of Grenoble (France). After passing the bar exam, Mr. Spennemann practiced law in a Berlin firm and joined the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in 2001. He deals with issues related to intellectual property and its development implications. Mr. Spennemann is particularly interested in patent and copyright law and the possibility of striking the right balance between exclusive rights and the public domain to promote innovation and creativity. He has also published and co-authored several articles in patent law, geographical indications, and trademark law.

Dr. Richard L. Thurston practices in the area of Intellectual Property Law. Before joining Duane Morris, Dr. Thurston was Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. He was also Chief Proprietary Information Officer (Trade Secrets) and Corporate Compliance Officer. Dr. Thurston has extensive experience in corporate governance and regulatory compliance, mergers and acquisitions, litigation, and intellectual property capital management, including IP and trade secret protection. He also has extensive experience in joint ventures and ventures capital investments, international trade and investment, and non-legal Asia Pacific strategic planning.