Holland & Knight Adds Two Prominent China Lawyers to Its International Business Practice
January 25, 2005
Richard Jay "Tad" Ferris- Washington
Hongjun Zhang- Beijing
Firm’s focus on China is enhanced by arrival of top
attorneys
WASHINGTON, D.C., – Holland & Knight LLP boosts its presence in the
China market with the addition of two distinguished attorneys to its
International Business Practice. Richard “Tad” Ferris, Partner, and Hongjun
Zhang, Senior Counsel, will spearhead the expansion of the firm''s client
services in the areas of regulatory and government relations issues affecting
clients with interests in China. The addition of these attorneys also will
increase the firm’s strategic reach into this dynamic market, where the firm
opened an office in 2004.
“We are enthused at adding two such talented colleagues to an international
practice group that includes several others that already have been building a
strong presence in China,” said Neal Beaton, International Business Team
Leader. “With their addition, we will be even better able to serve our diverse
U.S. and non-U.S. clients in connection with their activities in this area of
the world.”
Richard “Tad” Ferris, who was recently recognized as one of the
Washington area’s best international trade attorneys by Washingtonian
Magazine, brings more than a decade of experience in helping multinational
corporations and other entities develop and implement successful investment
strategies that minimize legal and other risks in the China market. He advises
clients on a wide range of regulatory, trade and government relations issues
associated with international business, including product stewardship, materials
restrictions, transport, technology transfer, product import and export,
end-of-life product and material disposition, worker health and safety, labor
management, emergency planning, project finance and approvals, real estate
transactions and negotiations with Chinese and other developing-country
government authorities and international institution secretariats. Mr. Ferris
also counsels clients on emerging issues in the China region associated with
corporate social responsibility programs and standards.
In China, Mr. Ferris has extensive experience counseling multinational
clients in a wide range of industry sectors. These include the biotechnology,
chemical, coatings, consumer product, electronics, food and beverage, mining,
pharmaceutical, infrastructure development, telecommunications, textile, toy,
utility, waste management and other sectors. He has acted as a consultant for
United Nations organizations, development banks and foreign government
institutions and agencies. He also counsels trade associations, corporations,
governments and law firms in compliance assistance work involving project
safeguard policies and procedures of U.S. and multilateral development
institutions, particularly where projects are sited in developing countries such
as China.
Mr. Ferris serves as a chair of the China Task Force at the U.S. Council for
International Business and is a member of the China Investment Task Force of the
Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD. He currently serves as
vice chair of the ABA section on Environment, Energy and Resources. He pursued
his legal studies in China before starting these studies in the United States.
He received his J.D. and an LL.M. degree in Comparative and International Legal
Studies from Duke University School of Law in 1994, a masters in East Asian
Studies from the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington
University in 1988, and a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from
Clark University in 1984. He is fluent in Mandarin, speaks Southern Min,
Fukkienese and Japanese, and reads French. He is admitted to practice in
Washington, D.C. and Massachusetts.
Hongjun Zhang, Ph.D. advises clients on government relations,
occupational health and safety, environmental protection, market access,
investment and trade issues in China and other Asian jurisdictions. He has
extensive experience working with Fortune 100 multinational companies on a broad
range of matters involving project approval and permit, environmental impact
assessment, dangerous chemical safety management, chemical import and export,
risk management, product stewardship and biotechnology. His clients include
members of the chemicals, electronics, consumer products, agriculture, energy,
paper, real estate, retail, and food and beverage industries.
Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Dr. Zhang served as a director in the
Legislative Office of China’s National People’s Congress, and was responsible
for drafting, implementing and enforcing a wide range of China’s environment,
economic development and investment laws and statutes. Prior to his position at
the National People''s Congress, Dr. Zhang held senior policy and planning
positions at the executive agency level in the Chinese government. He has
served as a legal advisor to key officials in China’s National People’s Congress
on matters related to multilateral treaties, and regularly communicates with
enforcement and other regulatory officials throughout the world.
Dr. Zhang is the only lawyer invited by President Clinton to participate in
the President''s Round Table in Guilin, Guangxi Province, during the President’s
visit to China in 1998. He has a Ph.D. in Law from Beijing University and an
LL.M. from Harvard Law School. He also received his legal training at American,
Harvard, New York and Yale Universities, Uppsala University in Sweden, Nijenrode
University in the Netherlands, and Chiang Mai University in Thailand. He holds a
senior research fellow position at Harvard University and serves on the board of
directors of the Energy Foundation. Dr. Zhang is a member of the New York State
Bar and the American Bar Association, and is admitted to practice in China.
Contact: Christina Calhoun (813) 769-4355