Sponsors

Barclays PLC

Barclays is a major global financial services provider engaged in retail banking, credit cards, corporate banking, investment banking, wealth management and investment management services with an extensive international presence in Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia.  With over 300 years of history and expertise in banking, Barclays operates in over 50 countries and employs more than 144,000 people. Barclays moves, lends, invests and protects money for more than 48 million customers and clients worldwide. Barclays has been steadily developing its presence in China since the early 1970s, centred around Barclays Capital, its investment banking division. Barclays Capital has a representative office in Beijing and a branch in Shanghai. In July 2007, Barclays PLC entered into a strategic alliance with China Development Bank (CDB), with CDB becoming a major Barclays shareholder, with a stake of 3.1%. The relationship provides Barclays unprecedented access to the Chinese market. In September 2007, CDB and Barclays formed a Commodities Strategic Alliance focusing on the areas of energy, metals and emissions, combining CDB's strong relationships and market presence in China with Barclays global commodity capability, risk management and banking expertise. In January 2009, Barclays acquired a 19.5% stake in New China Trust, one of China's leading trust companies. Barclays is a Founder Sponsor of the UK Pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai Expo.

City of London Corporation

The City of London is the world's leading international financial and business centre -- a global powerhouse at the heart of the UK's economy. The City of London Corporation promotes and supports the financial and professional services sector throughout the UK, termed the City. The Lord Mayor, as the head of the City of London, promotes UK-based financial and business services worldwide.

The City of London actively engages with the Chinese leadership, regional governments and with Chinese firms to position the City as China's partner of choice in the provision of financial services. Both the Lord Mayor and Policy Chairman undertake annual high level visits to China, and host senior Chinese visitors to the UK. Building on this longstanding engagement, the City of London has offices in Beijing and Shanghai, which work to strengthen bilateral trade and investment links. The offices facilitate the market access and business development of City firms in China and vice versa.

Allen & Overy is one of the largest international law firms with over 2000 lawyers and some 5,000 staff worldwide.  Since opening its first office in London in 1930, Allen & Overy has grown into a global organisation with 35 offices in 25 countries across Europe, the US, Asia, Australia, South America and the Middle East.
Our Global Financial Services Regulatory brings to bear extensive insights and experience on the major issues facing the financial services industry.  In the last 18 months or so since the financial crisis we advised Governments on the bail out of troubled financial institutions; we advised on some of the biggest mergers arising from the crisis including the ground breaking Lloyds TSB / HBOS merger;  we advised ISDA on the Big Bang Protocol, a centralised system for making key determinations in future and for existing Credit Default Swop (CDS) settlements and of vital importance in the wake of the financial crisis; we represent the former chairman and CEO of Lehman Brothers, Dick Fuld, in matters arising out of the Lehman bankruptcy and we represent clients in several investigations of credit derivatives swaps, such as the Justice Department's criminal investigation of AIG's Financial Products Division and the Justice Department's civil antitrust investigation of Credit Default Swaps (CDS) pricing and services; and in the aftermath of the Madoff fraud we are advising numerous major banks and a large asset manager in the US and UK on their positions relating to the multi-billion dollar securities fraud.
In China we have one of the most experienced PRC law practices.  Across our three China offices, Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, we have approximately 180 lawyers advising on financial services matters including in relation to the structuring and sale of derivatives in the PRC (and internationally), issuance of RMB bonds as well as capital raising in Hong Kong both Debt and Equity, and including US 144A transactions; strategic "platform development" by international financial institutions in the PRC and outbound M&A and financings by Chinese financial institutions and on the full range of banking transactional work both in the PRC and globally.