Arbitrating Tomorrow’s Tech Disputes in a World of AI, Critical Technology, and Digital Assets

Overview

Schedule and Speakers

10:30 AM - Registration Opens

11:00 AM - Welcome

11:05 AM–11:20 AM - Opening Remarks

• Thara Gopalan (Vice President, ICDR-AAA, Singapore)
• Zhang Haoliang (Director of Business Development & International Case Management Division, BAC/BIAC, Beijing)
• Yahan Lu (Deputy Secretary-General of the Online Dispute Resolution Centre (ODRC) of CIETAC, Beijing)

• Yahan Lu (Deputy Secretary-General of the Online Dispute Resolution Centre (ODRC) of CIETAC, Beijing)

Speakers

Thara Gopalan
Vice President, ICDR-AAA, Singapore

hara Gopalan is Vice President at the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR), the international division of the American Arbitration Association (AAA), a not-for-profit and the world’s largest provider of ADR services. She thrives at the intersection of law, strategy, and dispute resolution, combining legal insight with institutional leadership to expand access to fair, neutral processes worldwide. Thara leads the ICDR’s strategic development and operations across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Oceania, overseeing staff and services in the region, including the AAA-ICDR Asia Case Management Centre in Singapore. A commercial disputes lawyer by background, she is admitted as an Advocate and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore. Thara has acted in complex, high-value disputes before all levels of the Singapore courts and in international arbitrations and mediations under major institutional rules. She holds an LLB (Hons) from the University of Bristol and an LLM from University College London.

Zhang Haoliang
Director of Business Development & International Case Management Division
BAC/BIAC, Beijing

Zhang Haoliang serves as the Director of Business Development & International Case Management Division of the Beijing Arbitration Commission and the Beijing International Arbitration Court. Mr Zhang earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees from Tsinghua University. With 19 years of experience in international and domestic commercial arbitration, mediation, and other alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services, he has contributed to the revision of the PRC Arbitration Law and the drafting of local arbitration regulations. He spearheaded the preparation for the APAG Conference and leads the "Commercial Dispute Resolution in China: Annual Review and Preview" programme, which has been published for 12 consecutive years, and has organized the publication of a series of arbitration case studies. His exceptional expertise, leadership, and project management skills have earned him universal acclaim within the industry.

Yahan Lu
Deputy Secretary-General of the Online Dispute Resolution Centre (ODRC) of CIETAC, Beijing

Yahan Lu serves as the Deputy Secretary-General of the Online Dispute Resolution Centre (ODRC) and the Deputy Director of the Intellectual Property Dispute Resolution Division at CIETAC. She supervises various dispute resolution centres and has managed over 600 international and domestic commercial arbitrations, domain name disputes, and mediation cases. She has led the drafting of CIETAC’s Mediation Rules, updated its 2024 Arbitration Rules, and overseen the development of CIETAC’s Online Dispute Resolution platform. Furthermore, Yahan is a Council Member of the Asia Domain Name Dispute Resolution Centre (ADNDRC) and has handled around 500 domain name dispute cases. In addition, she represents CIETAC at meetings of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL). Prior to joining CIETAC, she earned her J.D. and Master of Laws degrees from Peking University School of Transnational Law.

Sam Wong
Senior Associate, Han Kun Law Offices LLP, Hong Kong
and Young ITA China Chair

Sam Wong is a Senior Associate at Han Kun Law Offices LLP based in Hong Kong. Sam has a broad practice in complex civil and commercial disputes, focusing on international arbitration. Sam has extensive experience acting in arbitrations under major institutional rules, including HKIAC, ICC, SIAC and UNCITRAL Rules, involving various jurisdictions such as the BVI, Cayman Islands, England & Wales, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, PRC China, Singapore, Taiwan and the United States. He has also represented listed companies, multinational corporations, PRC state-owned enterprises, shareholders, and high-net-worth individuals in cases involving shareholders disputes, cross-border and complex commercial disputes, as well as insolvency proceedings. Sam is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and is dual-qualified in both Hong Kong and England & Wales. Sam obtained a Bachelor of Laws degree with First Class Honours from the University of Hong Kong, ranking second in class, and holds a Master of Law degree from the University of Cambridge. Prior to joining Han Kun Law Offices LLP, Sam worked as an associate at Latham & Watkins LLP and Kirkland & Ellis LLP.

David Gu
Partner, Han Kun Law Offices, Beijing

David Gu specializes in complex commercial dispute resolution. He has represented large Chinese and multinational corporations in domestic and international arbitration proceedings under institutions such as BAC, CIETAC, ICC, LCIA, HKIAC, SIAC and SCC, resolving disputes in international transactions, intellectual property, public infrastructure, joint ventures, financial derivatives, and cross-border asset tracing, with values reaching billions of U.S. dollars. David regularly advises Chinese companies on overseas expansion by addressing cross-border legal risks, establishing compliance systems, and managing large-scale investigations by foreign authorities. David provides “one-stop” legal risk management and dispute resolution services for Chinese companies that pursue overseas ventures, and serves clients across diverse industries, including automobile, energy, e-commerce, gaming, construction, and financial services industries. David holds an LL.B. degree from Nanjing University, an LL.M. degree from Duke University, and both an LL.M. and Juris Doctor degree from Washington University in St. Louis. David is a member of the PRC Bar and the New York State Bar, and is fluent in Chinese and English.

Mevelyn Ong
Counsel, Sidley Austin LLP, Hong Kong
and Young ITA Vice-Chair

Mevelyn Ong is a Counsel at Sidley Austin LLP. With almost 15 years of experience in international arbitration, U.S. sanctions, and U.S. regulatory investigations, Mevelyn has lived and worked in New York, Hong Kong and Melbourne. Mevelyn has represented clients around the world from diverse industry sectors (including conglomerates and technology) in international commercial and investor-state arbitrations and mediations. Mevelyn has additionally defended multinational companies and financial institutions against multi-jurisdictional regulatory investigations brought by U.S., U.K., and other governmental authorities, with respect to alleged violations of U.S. sanctions, money laundering, bribery, terrorism financing, and other U.S. government regulations. Having spent the majority of her legal career in the U.S., Mevelyn has especial experience advising on matters with a U.S. nexus. She also has particular experience managing international disputes and crises that implicate issues of political risk, transnational criminality, and international law. She sits on a number of international law committees, including with the International Bar Association and the New York City Bar. She holds a BA/LLB (First Class Honours) from the University of Melbourne (Australia), a Certificate in Global Arbitration Law and Practice from Queen Mary, University of London (U.K.), and an LLM from Columbia University (U.S.).

Haiyang Cao
General Counsel, Syngenta Group China, Beijing

Haiyang Cao is the General Counsel of Syngenta Group China, a member company of Sinochem Group. Haiyang has 20 years of experience in overseas investment and legal affairs management, having held key positions at leading organisations such as China National Nuclear Corporation, State Power Investment Corporation, China Gezhouba Group Corporation, and Sinochem Group’s Syngenta Group China. His expertise spans across overseas investment, post-investment management, compliance, corporate governance, and intellectual property. He has earned prestigious awards, including Asian Legal Business China’s Top 15 General Counsels, Chambers and Partners’ Leading General Counsel for Greater China, and China Business Law Journal’s General Counsel of the Year. He serves as an arbitrator for over 30 arbitration institutions worldwide. A pioneer in integrating AI with legal practice, he leads a legal AI team, delivering innovative solutions in contract management and dispute resolution for major enterprises, driving the advancement of AI in empowering global business operations.

Raojuan Li
Of Counsel, Tahota (Beijing) Law Firm, Beijing
and BAC arbitrator

Raojuan LI is currently Of Counsel at Tahota (Beijing) Law Firm, where she brings over 15 years of extensive experience in data compliance, privacy protection, and intellectual property law. Throughout her career, she has advised a wide range of clients—including leading technology companies, multinational corporations, and innovative start-ups—on complex regulatory and compliance issues. Since 2021, Ms. Li has been deeply engaged at the forefront of artificial intelligence regulation, with particular focus on trustworthy AI, algorithm governance, and generative AI compliance. She has developed solid, hands-on expertise in navigating the rapidly evolving legal and regulatory landscape for AI technologies, enabling her to provide practical, forward-looking legal solutions to tech companies operating in this cutting-edge field.

Hongchuan Zhang-Krogman
Associate, Three Crowns LLP, Washington DC
ICDR Y&I Board Member

Hongchuan Zhang-Krogman is an associate at Three Crowns LLP, based in Washington, DC. She represents sovereigns, their instrumentalities, and corporations in commercial and investment treaty arbitrations under the major arbitral rules in the U.S., Asia and Latin America, and in various sectors, including technology, energy, aerospace and mining. Prior to private practice, Hong was a law clerk at the Supreme Court of Singapore and state counsel at the International Affairs Division of the Attorney-General’s Chambers Singapore, where she represented Singapore in international disputes and negotiations at international fora. She is qualified to practice in New York, Washington, DC and Singapore and currently serves on the board of the International Centre of Dispute Resolution (ICDR)’s Y&I group.

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