Ping An Insurance Group, China’s largest insurer by market value, has hired Steve Winegar as its international general counsel from Paul Hastings, where he was the chair of the Hong Kong office.

Winegar brings more than two decades of experience in the finance industry to Ping An. He started his career at Sherman & Sterling as an associate in 1994, and then worked with Goldman Sachs for nearly 13 years, leaving as managing director. He joined Paul Hastings as a corporate partner in 2010 and became chair of the firm’s Hong Kong office in 2016.

One of Winegar’s main tasks in Ping An is to enhance the international expertise of the in-house team, which is led by Shenzhen-based chief legal officer Jun Yao, as the group expands overseas and looks beyond the insurance business to a fintech future. 

According to some sources, nearly half of Ping An’s senior management team are from outside mainland China, including companies such as Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Prudential, and McKinsey. In early 2017, the group lured over DLA Piper Hong Kong partner Kit Kwok as its general counsel and head of compliance for its overseas investment arm China Ping An Insurance Overseas Holdings.

Replacing Winegar as the Hong Kong office chair at Paul Hastings will be partner Neil Torpey, who previously served in that role from 2002 to 2013, and is also the vice-chair of the firm’s global corporate department.

原美国普衡律师事务所香港办公室主席加入中国平安

中国保险业巨头平安保险已从美国普衡律师事务所聘请原香港办公室主席韦嘉律师担任其国际业务总法律顾问。

韦嘉律师的加盟，将带给平安其在金融领域长达20余年的丰厚经验。1994年，韦嘉律师加入美国谢尔曼▪斯特灵律师事务所，之后在高盛集团供职近13年，后升为执行董事。2010年，韦嘉律师作为公司业务合伙人加入美国普衡律师事务所，并在2016年成为香港办公室主管合伙人。

平安集团这些年积极布局海外市场并寻求从保险拓展至未来的金融科技，法务团队由中国平安保险（集团）股份有限公司公司首席律师、公司秘书、公司法律合规部总经理姚军先生带领。韦嘉律师加入后，主要职责之一便是配合姚军先生进一步增强平安法务团队的国际业务能力。

据悉，平安高管团队近一半均来自中国大陆以外，包括高盛集团、花旗集团、保诚保险、麦肯锡公司等。2017年年初，平安集团迎来欧华律师事务所原香港办公室合伙人Kit Kwok，担任其中国平安保险海外（控股）有限公司的总法律顾问和合规部主管。

Neil Torpey将接替韦嘉成为普衡香港办公室主席，2002至2013年间Torpey曾任此职，同时兼任普衡全球公司业务副主席职位。

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