On Sept 10, 2016, the 6th South China Business & Law Forum on "Legal Innovation in China's Internet Era" was held in Shenzhen, China, organized by the Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration (SCIA).

The event was specially supported by the First Circuit Court of the Supreme People's Court (SPC), the Second Civil Court of the SPC, the Fourth Civil Court of the SPC, the Department of Treaty and Law of the Ministry of Commerce and the Bureau of Policy and Regulation of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council.

The event brought together over 500 participants, including executives and legal counsels from more than 300 domestic and international companies, judges from all levels of courts, arbitration experts, mediation specialists, academics, professional lawyers, and heads of government decision-making and supervision departments.

The opening ceremony, presided over by Dr. Liu Xiaochun, President of the SCIA, saw the participation of key dignitaries. Among them were Liu Guixiang, Deputy Director of the SPC and President of the First Circuit Court of the SPC; Yang Linping, President of the Second Civil Court of the SPC; Guo Xiangyu, Director of the Policy and Regulations Bureau of the SASAC; Liu Jingdong, Deputy Director of the Fourth Civil Tribunal of the SPC, alongside numerous other legal experts and industry leaders.

Liu Guixiang delivered the opening speech for the annual seminar of the forum this year. He highlighted China's commitment to innovation-driven development. The theme of this forum aimed to discuss countermeasures for enterprise innovation and legal innovation in the internet era, which is highly meaningful for responding to and implementing the national innovation-driven development strategy. It is a great opportunity to understand the exploration and demands from the forefront of the industry and to listen to the real voices from the corporate legal practice sector.

He pointed out that in the internet era, traditional business models are undergoing changes, with a large number of transactions conducted online, inevitably leading to a large influx of new types of cases into the field of civil and commercial litigation or arbitration. Since 2007, the SCIA has been exploring the resolution of e-commerce disputes through online mediation and arbitration, pioneering the establishment of a network mediation and arbitration platform for Chinese arbitration institutions. Currently, arbitration institutions represented by the SCIA have begun exploring online arbitration to better serve the parties and arbitrators. He expressed that the SPC will continue to support the construction and innovative development of diversified dispute resolution methods such as arbitration and mediation.

The forum had three main sessions: "Globalization Strategies and Legal Management of Chinese High-Tech Enterprises", "Legal Challenges of Enterprise Transformation in the Internet Era", and "Innovation in Legal Services and Dispute Resolution Mechanisms in the Internet Era".

In the first session, chaired by Yao Jun, chief lawyer of China Ping An Group and Chairman of the South China Business & Law Forum, speakers from leading internet companies such as Huawei, Baidu, Tencent, and Alibaba discussed legal issues pertinent to internet businesses. Topics included global legal frameworks, regulation of online infringement, e-commerce, and cloud computing.

The second session, moderated by Wang Yan, former Legal Director of McDonald's Greater China and Vice-chairman of the South China Business & Law Forum, focused on the legal challenges faced by enterprises, including those in traditional industries, during the transition to the internet era. Speakers addressed topics such as e-commerce development, P2P lending regulation, and legal challenges in supply chain innovation.

The third session, moderated by Liu Jingdong, Deputy Director of the Fourth Civil Tribunal of the SPC, delved into legal services and dispute resolution mechanisms in the internet era. Presentations covered topics such as the development of a national platform for corporate bankruptcy reorganization cases, internet arbitration practices, and the integration of legal resources through online platforms.

In his closing remarks, Prof. Shen Sibao, Chairman of the SCIA Council, expressed gratitude to the supporting organizations and participants. He emphasized the importance of the forum in promoting legal innovation and professional development. The South China Business & Law Forum has become one of China’s most influential legal platforms, facilitating dialogue between industry leaders, legal professionals, and policymakers to promote market development as well as the rule of law.

The 6th South China Business & Law Forum concluded with a commitment to continued collaboration and innovation in the legal field, aiming to provide the best dispute resolution services for domestic and international market participants.

Liu Guixiang, Deputy Director of the SPC and President of the First Circuit Court of the SPC, delivered the opening speech at the seminar.

Yang Linping, President of the Civil Adjudication Tribunal No.2 of the SPC, delivered the keynote speech on "Innovation and Regulation of Internet Finance" at the seminar.

The opening ceremony of the seminar was chaired by Dr. Liu Xiaochun, President of the SCIA.

The first session, "Globalization Strategy and Legal Management of Chinese High-Tech Enterprises", was chaired by Yao Jun, Chief Attorney of Ping An Group and Chairman of the South China Business & Law Forum.

Song Liuping, Vice-President and Chief Legal Officer of Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, and Vice Chairman of the South China Business & Law Forum, delivered a keynote speech on "Legal Layout of Globalization of Chinese Enterprises".

Tan Jun, General Manager of Baidu's Legal Department, gave a keynote speech on "Legal Affairs Management of Internet Companies".

Jiang Bo, General Counsel of Tencent's Legal Department and Expert Member of the Professional Advisory Committee of the China (Shenzhen) Intellectual Property Arbitration Center of the SCIA, delivered a keynote speech on "Industry Regulation and Institutional Improvement of Network Infringement".

Sami Farhad, Senior Director of the Legal Department of Alibaba Group and an arbitrator, gave a keynote speech on "E-commerce and Cloud Computing: Business and Legal Internationalization".

The first session featured panelists including Pei Ying, Global Assistant General Counsel of Tesla Inc; Winnie Tam, SBS, SC, JP Chairwoman of the Hong Kong Bar Association, Expert Member of the Professional Advisory Committee of the China (Shenzhen) Intellectual Property Arbitration Center, and Wang Zhongde, Partner at Dentons Law Firm.

The second session, "Legal Challenges of Enterprise Transformation in the Internet Age", was chaired by Wang Yan, Former General Counsel of McDonald's Greater China and Vice-Chairman of the South China Business & Law Forum.

Chen Weihua, General Counsel of China Southern Airlines Co Ltd and Vice Chairman of the South China Business & Law Forum, delivered a keynote speech on "Legal Challenges of Innovation for Traditional Enterprises in the Internet Age".

Yao Jun, Chief Lawyer of Ping An Group and Chairman of the South China Business & Law Forum, delivered a keynote speech on "P2P Online Lending Fund Custody".

Chen Weimin, Vice-Chairman and President of the Financial Cluster of Shenzhen Yiya Tong Supply Chain Co Ltd, delivered a keynote speech on "Legal Challenges of Innovation for Supply Chain Enterprises in the Internet Age".

Wang Huotao, CEO of Peak Intellectual Sincerity, Vice-Chairman of the China Patent Protection Association, and a mediation expert at SCIA, delivered a keynote speech on "Intellectual Property Challenges of Enterprise Internet Transformation."

The second session featured panelists including Wu Jingli, Judge of the Civil Adjudication Tribunal No.2 of the SPC; Guo Junxiu, General Counsel of China Eastern Airlines Group; Zhang Ning, Partner at King & Wood Mallesons Law Firm; and Chen Jihong, Partner at Zhong Lun Law Firm. 

The third session, "Innovation of Legal Services and Dispute Resolution Mechanisms in the Internet Age", was chaired by Liu Jingdong, Deputy President of the Civil Adjudication Tribunal No.4 of the SPC.

Qian Xiaochen, Dean of the Judicial Case Research Institute of the SPC, delivered a keynote speech on "Construction of the National Enterprise Bankruptcy Reorganization Case Information Platform".

Zhang Lixing, Chief Technical Consultant of SCIA, delivered a keynote speech on "Internet Innovation and Practice of Arbitration in China: A Case Study of SCIA".

Guo Shizhan, CEO of Niu Law Network and an arbitrator, delivered a keynote speech on "The Power of Integration: Building the Strongest Lawyer Database on the Internet".

The third session featured panelists including Tian Wenchang, Partner at Kyoto Law Firm; Jiang Yong, Director of Tiandong Law Firm; and Zhang Zhi, Director of Wanshang Tianqin Law Firm and Founder of the Dingsong Commercial Dispute Resolution Support Platform.

Prof. Shen Sibao, Chairman of the SCIA Council and Chairman of China International Economic and Trade Law Association, delivered the closing speech on behalf of the SCIA Council.