连续第十年，ALB观察并评选出了中国市场上的顶尖总法律顾问。如今，极端复杂的市场环境成为了总法律顾问多元能力最好的“试金石”，在法律、商业、管理等技能板块之上，企业正呼求总法律顾问们展现出更高的战略视野。

今年，ALB再度评选出了十五位成绩突出、能力多元的企业法律合规团队管理者。

过去十年中，伴随榜单评选，ALB见证了企业总法律顾问群体在中国的发展。如果说曾经我们关注于总法律顾问新职责、新能力的产生，那么当今的市场则成为了一个绝佳的“测试场”，考验着总法律顾问能否灵活调用能力，为企业在复杂环境中提供战略指引。

部分上榜总法和ALB分享了他们的成长之路，以及在过去一年应对市场新挑战的故事。

Chinese EV supply chain eye U.S. ListingsChinese EV supply chain eye U.S. ListingsKenneth Zhou 周颖

助力出海，做有决断力的总法

陈卓瑛是中国锂电池巨头亿纬锂能的总法律顾问。从事法律职业近20年来，他先后在律所从事涉外法律业务，后任多家跨国企业的法务负责人，专长于跨境投融资及合规领域，可以说亲历了中国涉外法律业务发展的全过程。

2021年加入亿纬锂能后，陈卓瑛“赶上了公司的高速发展时光，营业额在三年间增长了六倍”。更重要的是，亿纬锂能在这一阶段开启了产业链出海，“在欧洲和东南亚投资建造锂电池工厂。我们已将全球化看作是企业的‘第三次创业’ ”。

在此过程中，陈卓瑛发现自身积累的涉外业务经验发挥了极大作用。“我曾在跨国公司的中国区域担任法务总监等角色，这对于我领导亿纬锂能的出海有很大帮助。例如通过近距离观察跨国公司在中国的技术授权合作模式，我将这一模式复制到了亿纬锂能的美国出海项目当中；又例如对跨国公司全球法务管理、合规管理的体验，使我懂得如何去管理好中国民营企业的全球法务及合规工作”，他说。

2023、2024两年，陈卓瑛深刻感受到国际政治不确定性的时代特点。不过，“不确定性并不一定阻碍中国企业出海，某些情况下还可能促进出海。同时，欧美国家的一些法规对中国企业出海形成挑战，使得法务部不得不花大量资源在合规管理上”。

此外， 陈卓瑛的另一个聚焦点在于为亿纬锂能这类设立于中国、新一代全球化企业打造一支合格的法务团队。他告诉ALB，2021年以来，亿纬锂能的全球法务团队建设跨越了三个阶段，形成了从支持“产品出口”的涉外法务团队，到支持“产业链出海”的国际投资法务团队，再到海外驻地法务团队的“三个团队”。

在陈卓瑛的带领下，这支团队希望做企业内部合规文化的缔造者和守护者。“企业全球化的最大风险之一就是合规风险，总法和法务部必须积极建立合规体系，形成合规文化，要做大量的工作实现实质合规，才能保证出海企业的长期平稳发展。”陈卓瑛坦言。

“流量与规则是相辅相成的”

张智明是中国直播电商公司交个朋友的法律合规副总裁。他2006年起从事企业法务工作，从国企，到五百强传统名企，再到互联网创业公司；从铁路交通，到制造业，再到平台经济和如今的直播电商领域，他实现了从传统到新兴产业的转型，探寻总结着不同产业法律合规工作的同异之处。

2023年加入交个朋友后，张智明感受到法律合规工作在直播电商领域面临的最大挑战，是“安全合规和增长诉求的取舍平衡”。

他解释道：“有别于传统行业，直播电商公司的增长诉求伴随着对更丰富的供应链、更多品类和商品的需求，以及对更高毛利的追逐，但与此同时，我们希望给消费者提供可信赖和有性价比的商品和服务。这就需要时刻牢记：安全是一切发展的前提和基石，必须本着对消费者负责的态度，才有可能成为大家信赖的朋友。”

过去两年，张智明致力于打造跨平台、多领域、境内外直播合规标准及评价系统，过程中充满挑战。他告诉ALB，直播电商领域受到众多法律规定和主管部门约束，包括《产品质量法》《广告法》《反不正当竞争法》《价格法》《消费者权益保护法》等，且存在多个电商平台自有规则、高度迭代的模式演进的影响，并且“受到巨大体量消费者的持续考验，一旦丧失信任基础，就有可能彻底归零”。

对此，张智明和团队坚持的方法论很简单，即“不心存侥幸”：“用最严格的法律要求、操作规程、保障理念，来对公司经营方向和日常运作进行自我要求。”

作为创新型企业的法务团队，交个朋友法律合规部也特别强调以智能化方式完成工作。他告诉ALB，目前部门用到的智能化工具均为团队自研，最受瞩目的当属“智鉴”产品。“‘智鉴’用于商品智能化合规审核及风险评价，集成了商家主体背调、商品合规审核、大数据分析、直播生命周期内商品风险评价、高风险数据看板、风险预判功能，可对食品、服饰、美妆等数千个类目商品实现合规性智能审核，一期产品已应用于日常工作。”

“未来，法律合规部应该是一个广泛应用智能工具的部门，既有合规能力沉淀，又能够用智能工具实现合规效能的最大化，从而让团队成员专注于规则建设、能力提升，成为行业类目合规专家、智能产品专家，这是我追求的目标。”张智明如此描绘他心中的理想团队。

“人生每一步都很有趣”

周颖是全球食品饮料包装巨头SIG 集团亚太北区法务及合规总监。作为总法，他很有特点：一方面职责范围特别广，包括法务、合规、个人信息保护等板块；另一方面，他的专业深度难能可贵，尤其是反垄断、数据合规、大合规管理领域的专家。周颖坦言，这样的职业特点是“时代机遇和自我选择共同作用的结果”。

周颖曾在中国头部企业及多家著名跨国公司从事合同管理、法务、合规等工作，参与了中国第一波中国企业出海过程中的法律服务、中国《反垄断法》颁布初期的首个滥用市场支配地位重大调查案件、《网络安全法》颁布后首批外企数据合规体系搭建工作等，“根据所在企业情况和时代命题，不断转变关注方向，同时在实践中理解立法深意，积累了难得的经验”。

回顾一路走来的经历，每次专业内容转向都伴随不少挑战，但周颖总以积极的心态面对。“我有个观点：每一段经历都不会白费，人生虽然不能规划，但是可以抱着‘顺势而为，积极进取’的心态，去补齐专业或者管理技能上的拼图。你会发现人生每一步都很有趣。”

看周颖的履历，会发现他还特别乐于做“从0到1”的内部团队和体系搭建工作，例如在SIG的七年中，他先后领导搭建了合同管理、知识产权管理、个人信息保护、商业秘密保护等制度。这类系统性工作往往需要具备强大的宏观思维，同时考虑到每个细节的有效执行，并调动公司内部多种资源，并非易事。

周颖说：“其实很多人不愿意去改变一家公司的内部制度，但我反而乐于改变。我经常开玩笑说自己是个‘改革派’，每到一家新公司，我做的第一件事就是风险分析，然后通过搭建制度去做出改变，这类工作的最大成就感在于我有更大的主动性去创设‘游戏规则’，而很多规则甚至可以改变一家公司的经营模式和文化。”

周颖坦言，伴随市场环境快速变化，如今总法角色正面临越来越大的挑战。作为一家外资企业，中国市场的“内卷”式发展要求本地法务合规团队能够提供“落地”服务。“白热化竞争导致产品价格越来越低，同时中国本土竞争者敢于业务创新，对我们的经营模式提出了挑战，外资企业要更灵活。”周颖说，过去外资企业的法务团队红线意识比较强，现在则要做解决方案提供者，参与讨论某项业务创新是否在法律允许的范围之内、风险发生的可能性有多大、发生风险后的影响又有多大等等。

“市场竞争是很残酷的，如果没法适应本土化竞争，企业甚至要面临退出风险。”周颖说，“法务团队的发展一定要贴合于所在法域法律和市场的发展。”

2024 ALB China Top 15 General Counsel

For the tenth year, ALB has highlighted China's top general counsel. Today’s complex market challenges GCs to leverage their diverse skills and strategic vision across law, business, and management.

This year, ALB once again recognizes fifteen outstanding and versatile corporate legal and compliance leaders. Over the past decade, through its rankings, ALB has witnessed the growth of general counsel in China. While the past focus was on the emergence of new roles and skills, today’s market serves as a testing ground for general counsel to demonstrate their adaptability in guiding companies through complex environments.

Some of the featured general counsel share their journeys and experiences in navigating new market challenges over the past year.

SUPPORTING GLOBAL EXPANSION

Aaron Chen is the General Counsel of EVE Energy, a leading Chinese lithium battery company. With nearly 20 years in legal practice, Chen's expertise spans cross-border investment and compliance, gained through roles at law firms and multinational corporations. He joined EVE Energy in 2021 during a period of rapid growth, with the company’s revenue increasing sixfold in three years. More importantly, EVE Energy began expanding its supply chain globally, building lithium battery factories in Europe and Southeast Asia, marking what they call the company's “third entrepreneurship phase.”

Chen’s international experience proved invaluable in this expansion. “My experience as a legal director for MNCs in China helped significantly with EVE's international ventures. For instance, I adapted the licensing cooperation models I observed to EVE's U.S. projects. Similarly, my background in global legal and compliance management allowed me to oversee EVE's legal operations globally,” he shares.

In 2023 and 2024, Chen has keenly felt the challenges posed by geopolitical uncertainties. While he notes that these uncertainties do not necessarily hinder Chinese companies' global ambitions and can, in some cases, even encourage expansion, he also acknowledges the challenges posed by regulations in Western countries, requiring substantial resources to ensure compliance.

Another key focus for Chen has been building a capable legal team for EVE Energy. Since 2021, EVE’s global legal team has developed through three stages: supporting “product exports,” then “supply chain expansion,” and finally, establishing legal teams in overseas markets. Under Chen's leadership, the team aims to foster a culture of compliance within the company. “One of the biggest risks in globalization is compliance. The legal department must actively build a compliance framework and culture, ensuring the company's long-term stability abroad,” Chen emphasizes.

‘TRAFFIC, RULES GO HAND IN HAND’

Melvin Zhang, Vice President of Legal and Compliance at the Chinese livestreaming e-commerce company “Be Friends,” has been working in corporate legal roles since 2006. His career has spanned state-owned enterprises, Fortune 500 companies, and internet startups, covering industries from transportation to manufacturing to the platform economy and livestreaming e-commerce. Zhang has focused on understanding the unique aspects of legal work in each sector.

Since joining “Be Friends” in 2023, Zhang has faced the challenge of balancing compliance and growth. He explains, “Unlike traditional industries, livestreaming e-commerce’s growth involves managing a diverse supply chain and higher-margin products, while maintaining trustworthiness and value for consumers. Safety and compliance must always be a priority to build trust.”

Over the past two years, Zhang has worked on establishing cross-platform, multi-domain, and international compliance standards for livestreaming. He highlights the complexity of the sector, which is regulated by various laws such as the Product Quality Law, Advertising Law, and Consumer Protection Law, alongside evolving platform rules. “With millions of consumers, losing trust can result in a complete loss of business,” he notes.

Zhang and his team have adopted a straightforward approach: No shortcuts. They adhere to the highest legal standards and procedures in their operations. Additionally, they focus on using intelligent tools developed in-house to enhance efficiency, including a product named Zhi Jian, which automates compliance reviews and risk assessments across thousands of product categories.

“Going forward, legal departments should leverage smart tools to maximize compliance efficiency, allowing team members to focus on developing expertise and creating rules,” Zhang envisions.

‘EVERY STEP IN LIFE COUNTS’

Kenneth Zhou, Head of Legal and Compliance for the Asia Pacific and North Asia region at SIG Group, a global food and beverage packaging leader, brings a unique mix of breadth and depth to his role. His responsibilities cover legal, compliance, and data protection, with particular expertise in antitrust, data compliance, and holistic compliance management. Zhou attributes his career path to a blend of timing and self-direction.

Having worked in leading Chinese companies and MNCs, Zhou has participated in major events like the early wave of Chinese companies' international expansion, China's first major antitrust investigations, and the initial implementation of the Cybersecurity Law for foreign firms. He notes, “Each shift in focus was a response to the needs of the company and the times, allowing me to gain valuable insights.”

Reflecting on his career, Zhou acknowledges the challenges that came with each shift in focus but maintains a positive outlook. “I believe that no experience is wasted. While life can’t always be planned, you can adopt a proactive and adaptable mindset, filling in your professional skills as you go. Every step of the journey counts.”

Zhou is known for building teams and systems from the ground up, such as leading the development of contract management, intellectual property, and data protection systems at SIG. “Changing a company’s internal systems can be daunting, but I enjoy it. I often joke that I'm a 'reformer'—the first thing I do at a new company is a risk analysis, followed by implementing new systems to create change. The real reward is the ability to shape the 'rules of the game,' sometimes even influencing the company's business model and culture.”

Zhou recognizes that the role of general counsel is becoming increasingly challenging amidst a rapidly changing market. For foreign companies, China's competitive environment demands that local legal teams provide practical support. “Intense competition drives prices down, while local competitors are willing to innovate, challenging our business model. Foreign companies need to be more agile,” Zhou explains. He emphasizes that legal teams must now act as “solution providers,” guiding business innovations within the boundaries of the law, assessing potential risks, and determining their impact.

“Market competition is unforgiving—if you can’t adapt to local challenges, you risk exiting the market,” says Zhou. “The development of a legal team must align with the evolution of local laws and market trends.”