Biography
Grace Zhu is a Hong Kong-based partner in White & Case’s Disputes Practice and a member of the Firm’s Private Capital industry group.
Clients rely on Grace for strategic, commercially focused advice on complex and high stakes matters where regulatory exposure, litigation risk, transaction execution and reputational considerations intersect.
With legal training and qualifications spanning both civil law and common law systems, she brings a rare cross-jurisdictional perspective to matters involving Asian, US and international enforcement risk, and is particularly experienced in navigating sensitive, multi-jurisdictional issues involving regulators, courts, arbitral tribunals, boards, investors and other stakeholders.
Grace represents clients in complex commercial disputes before courts and arbitral tribunals in Hong Kong, Mainland China, the United States and the United Kingdom. Her experience includes fraud, insolvency, asset preservation, shareholder and M&A disputes, directors’ duties, privilege and employment-related claims.
Grace also advises clients on inquiries and investigations involving major US and Asian authorities, including the DOJ, SEC, OFAC, BIS, SFC, ICAC, CSRC and MAS. Her work spans alleged fraud, securities enforcement, anti-corruption and bribery, anti-money laundering, sanctions and export controls, data privacy and national security.
In risk mitigation contexts, she helps clients identify and manage risk throughout the lifecycle of cross-border investments and operations, from compliance diligence and negotiating compliance representations and warranties to post-investment risk assessments, audits, training, and the design and implementation of compliance programs.
Her practice is distinguished by the ability to integrate disputes, investigations and transactional risk advice into practical strategies that allow clients to respond decisively to immediate issues while preserving long-term commercial objectives.
Experience
Grace’s experience* includes:
Dispute Resolution
- Represented a global professional services firm and two of its partners in the defence of pre-action disclosure proceedings before the Hong Kong Court, as part of a broader cross-border litigation strategy spanning Australia, India, Singapore and the United States.
- Represented a Chinese private equity fund in HKIAC arbitration concerning a dispute arising from the acquisition of a high-technology business, with parallel court proceedings in both Cayman Islands and Hong Kong.
- Advised global asset management firms in cross-border investment disputes involving simultaneous proceedings in Hong Kong, Mainland China and the United Kingdom, coordinating with local and international counsel and navigating differing procedural and substantive legal frameworks across multiple jurisdictions.
- Represented a private equity investor in contentious M&A litigation spanning courts in Mainland China and the United States, managing the complexities of evidence gathering and enforcement across jurisdictions.
Investigations & Regulatory Enforcement
- Represented a private equity backed global renewable energy developer in connection with regulatory investigations by Taiwanese and German regulators involving allegations of anti-corruption laws and accounting rules violations.
- Advised a global asset management client in conducting an independent internal investigation into corruption allegations concerning investments in China and Hong Kong and represented the client in SEC, DOJ and SFC investigations.
- Advised multinational pharmaceutical and healthcare companies on internal investigations related to sales data manipulation, self-dealing, product registration, sponsorships and grants, third-party and distributor misconduct in Asia.
- Advised Special Committee of a US listed coffee company related to allegations of fraudulent accounting by senior executives in advance of the company’s IPO.
Risk Mitigation & Compliance Advisory
- Advised an investment manager on urgent regulatory risks under the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571) and the Listing Rules arising from transactions with a Hong Kong-listed company, involving potential undisclosed financial assistance, an auditor-driven investigation and suspension of trading.
- Advised various private equity clients on compliance due diligence and international risks in connection with investments in Asia and assisted their portfolio companies and asset management partners in developing and implementing compliance programs.
* Includes experience prior to joining W&C