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Lawyers

Yuan Zheng

Lawyers

Advises multinational corporations, banks, fintech firms and Asia-based companies in investigations and litigations involving securities laws, the FCPA and sanctions.

Yuan advises multinational corporations, banks and Asia-based companies in regulatory and internal investigations of alleged FCPA violations and breaches of securities, anti-money laundering and sanctions laws. She also represents clients in securities litigations and transactional due diligence, and advises fintech firms in relation to regulatory compliance.

Earlier in her career, Yuan spent two years in the Office of Legal Affairs at the United Nations headquarters and four years at the International Court of Justice in The Hague working on interstate disputes on various international law subjects.

Experience highlights

Regulatory and Internal Investigations
  • Advising financial institutions, corporate clients and individuals in responding to regulatory inquiries and conducting internal investigation involving securities law violations in connection with insider dealing, market manipulation, accounting fraud, disclosure obligations, etc.
  • Advising global financial institutions, professional firms, global technology and healthcare companies on regulatory and internal investigations concerning alleged corruption and fraud in their recruitment, procurement, tender, marketing and sales practices in Asia
  • Representing financial institutions, including major state-owned enterprises, in response to U.S. regulatory inquiries into sanctions and AML issues
  • Conducting anti-harassment investigations on behalf of financial institutions and educational institutions
Litigation
  • Advising China-based issuers in U.S. securities class action lawsuits
  • Advising clients in shareholder disputes and breach of fiduciary duty claims
Regulatory and Compliance Advice in M&A Transactions
  • Conducting anti-corruption, AML and sanctions due diligence on behalf of banks and funds in their investments in healthcare, fintech, information technology, automobile, media and energy sectors and recommending post-transaction enhancement measures
Compliance
  • Conducting a comprehensive review of a major state-owned enterprise’s group-wide AML, CTF and sanctions compliance policies and procedures
  • Advising a Europe-headquartered conglomerate in its anti-corruption, AML, sanctions compliance uplift for business units in Southeast Asia
  • Advising a leading global bank in conducting post-acquisition review of anti-corruption controls of acquired businesses in Asia and implementing remedial measures
Fintech Regulations
  • Providing KYC/AML, sanctions, licensing and other compliance-related advice to cryptocurrency exchanges, mining companies, payment firms, gaming companies and other blockchain and fintech businesses
  • Advising a telecommunications company with its consultation with the banking regulator concerning payment and virtual bank licensing questions

Before joining Davis Polk, Yuan worked on interstate disputes concerning territorial and maritime boundaries, human rights obligations, trans-boundary environmental laws, treaty interpretation, illegal use of force and compensation for expropriation.

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Insights

Credentials

Recognition

Law Society of Hong Kong - Individual Bronze Award (for pro bono work), 2022

Education
LL.M., New York University School of Law
  • International Law and Human Rights Student Fellow
B.A., International Relations, Peking University
LL.B., Peking University Law School
Professional history
  • Counsel, 2021-present
  • Counsel - Registered Foreign Lawyer, 2020-2021
  • Registered Foreign Lawyer, Davis Polk, 2014-2020
  • Associate Legal Officer, International Court of Justice, United Nations, 2010-2014
  • Assistant Legal Officer, Codification Division of the Office of Legal Affairs, United Nations, 2009-2010
Qualifications and admissions
  • Hong Kong
  • State of New York
  • U.S. District Court, S.D. New York
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