Hung Ou Yang, managing partner of Brain Trust International Law Firm and Joe Boswell of The Legal 500 welcomed the attendees and set the stage for a day of engaging discussions and knowledge sharing at The Legal 500’s first-ever GC Summit Taiwan. They addressed a packed room of over 100 GCs, heads of legal and other senior in-house lawyers (with more than 150 people attending over the course of the day) – an amazing achievement for the first event of its kind in Taiwan. 

The conference started in earnest with an engaging fireside chat, moderated by Hung Ou Yang and featuring Robert J. Malatak from Windels Marx Lane & Mittendorf, LLP, Paul Ma from Brain Trust International Law Firm, and Eloy Peral from Windels Marx Lane & Mittendorf, LLP. The panel delved into best practices, legal frameworks, and ethical considerations surrounding internal investigations, offering valuable insights into maintaining trust and transparency in a rapidly evolving corporate landscape. 

Dr. George Lin, David Lee, Colin Wu from Lin & Partners Attorneys at Law, David Poo from Foxwell Energy, and Po-Hsiang Ou from CISC Taiwan led an informative panel discussion on the intersection between energy projects and insurance considerations within Taiwan’s dynamic energy landscape. The session was marked for its practical, down-to earth guidance based on the rich experience of those on stage – people who have helmed or advised on market-leading projects in the energy market in Taiwan for many years.  

Winston Y. Chan, Jason C. Lo, Debra Wong Yang from Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, Ying Ying Jiang of JTI and Dr. George Lin from Lin and Partners Attorneys at Law discussed the complex legal and regulatory challenges faced by Taiwan-based companies expanding into the US market. The session offered valuable insights into managing legal risks and regulatory hurdles when conducting business in the United States from a panel who are among the most experienced and knowledgeable in the field currently operating.  

Next on the agenda, we moved over to the thorny world of Bankruptcy. Hung Ou Yang of Brain Trust International Law Firm, and Robert J. Malatak and Eloy Peral of Windels Marx Lane & Mittendorf provided essential insights into navigating bankruptcy proceedings, optimising debt recovery, and tackling insolvency-related disputes. Attendees gained valuable knowledge on protecting their organisations’ financial stability from this hybrid session.  

During a fireside chat presentation on The Securities and Exchange Act, Janet Huang and Weiyu Chiang from Formosa Transnational Attorneys at Law then discussed the interpretation of proportionate liability under Article 20-1 of the Act. They highlighted potential compensation liability on directors, supervisors, and individuals within companies and the importance of directors’ and officers’ liability insurance, giving key takeaways to the audience in the process. 

Attendees enjoyed a networking lunch after this presentaiton, fostering connections and discussions based on what they had heard on stage up to this point. After the break, we moved on to the last two panel discussions.   

Kunchou Tsai from Enlighten Law Group then helmed a discussion titled The Fintech Landscape – Legal Changes in the Payment Services Market, alongside Felix Wang from Nogle Limited, Stella Hsieh from Red Building Capital, and Sophie Shih-Yu Chu from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld explored legal changes in the payment services market. The discussion provided crucial insights into the evolving fintech world and its intersection with legal frameworks. 

Eugenia Chuang from KPMG in Taiwan, Hui-Sheng Feng from Taiwan Railway, Lois Lin from Wiwynn Corporation, and Claire (Yuchieh) Lin from Copenhagen Infrastructure Wind Power Development Taiwan then discussed ESG initiatives in the final slot of the agenda. The session emphasised the role of in-house lawyers in driving ethical, environmentally conscious, and socially responsible practices within organizations, with Joe Boswell grilling the panellists on their own ESG efforts.  

The GC Summit Taiwan was a resounding success, providing attendees with valuable insights, actionable strategies, and opportunities for networking. We look forward to future Legal 500 Events that will help to bring together the in-house legal community in Taiwan, and we have big plans to do just this!