Guanglei Zhang Partner
Beijing, Shenzhen
  • Practice: Arbitration and Mediation、Litigation and Dispute Resolution
  • Languages: Mandarin、English
  • Tel: (86-10)5809-1515
  • Email: zhang.guanglei@jingtian.com
  • Practice: Arbitration and Mediation、Litigation and Dispute Resolution
  • Languages: Mandarin、English
  • Tel: (86-10)5809-1515
  • Email: zhang.guanglei@jingtian.com
Dr. Guanglei Zhang is an Equity Partner at Jingtian & Gongcheng Law Firm. He earned his Bachelor of Laws, Master of Civil Law, and Doctorate in Commercial Law from China University of Political Science and Law. He also holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from The George Washington University Law School and was a visiting scholar at Columbia University Law School.
 
Dr. Zhang holds licenses to practice law in China, the State of New York, and the State of California, and is proficient in both Mandarin Chinese and English.
 
Dr. Zhang specializes in dispute resolution and is widely recognized for his expertise in both domestic and international litigation and arbitration. Over time, he has cultivated a respected standing in the legal profession, reinforced by a series of notable honors. In 2018, he was recognized as one of China’s “Top 10 Outstanding Young Lawyers” by CLECSS. He was named to the “A-List of Elite 100 Lawyers” by China Business Law Journal in 2020, and in 2021, Asian Legal Business listed him among the “Top 15 Litigators in China.” In 2022, The Legal 500 identified him as a “Recommended Lawyer” in Dispute Resolution (Arbitration), while LEGALBAND included him among the “Top 15 Arbitration Lawyers” and subsequently featured him in its “Top Ranked Lawyers” list for both 2023 and 2024. He has also been recognized as a “Litigation Star” by Benchmark Litigation from 2023 through 2025. In the 2019 Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC) International Arbitration Moot Competition, Dr. Zhang led the Jingtian & Gongcheng team to a regional championship in Beijing and second place nationally, and he was also honored with the “Best Lawyer” award across all competition rounds.
 
Dr. Zhang has represented clients in hundreds of civil and commercial cases before leading arbitral institutions and courts, including the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC), Beijing Arbitration Commission (BAC), Shanghai International Arbitration Centre (SHIAC), Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration (SCIA), Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC), ICC International Court of Arbitration, the Supreme People’s Court of China, as well as various levels of Chinese courts.
 
His practice spans a wide range of industries, including real estate, finance, securities, international trade, pharmaceuticals, financial leasing, environmental protection, culture and tourism, education, telecommunications, credit reporting, internet, renewable energy, and industrial manufacturing. He has specialized expertise in investment and financing disputes and has successfully handled cases involving performance-based agreements, equity transfers, corporate control, director and officer liability, employee stock options, as well as fundraising and fund management issues.
 
Dr. Zhang also possesses extensive experience in cross-border dispute resolution, with particular expertise in developing strategic, integrated solutions and managing complex international litigation and arbitration. He has frequently served as an expert on Chinese law in proceedings before courts and arbitral tribunals in the United States, Singapore, Hong Kong, and other jurisdictions.
 
Many of the cases Dr. Zhang has handled are regarded as landmark matters within the legal and business communities. Notably, he successfully represented the “Tuniu” trademark infringement case, which was recognized by the Beijing High People’s Court as one of the Top Ten Intellectual Property Cases of the Year. In a high-stakes arbitration concerning the control of a listed company, he secured the client’s controlling interest in assets valued at several hundred million yuan. In another matter, Dr. Zhang represented an Asian dollar fund in a dispute with a domestic state-owned enterprise, leading to a successful settlement that preserved several hundred million yuan in expected returns for the client—marking the first successful exit among a group of both domestic and foreign investors. In a cross-border licensing dispute involving an ad hoc arbitration clause, he persuaded both the arbitral tribunal in Hong Kong and courts at two levels in mainland China to recognize the clause’s validity. Dr. Zhang also achieved a rare outcome in an arbitration arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, successfully invoking the doctrine of changed circumstances to reduce the client’s liability by 50%—one of the few known cases applying this principle to performance-based obligations during the pandemic. In a foreign-related arbitration award enforcement case, he prevailed before the Supreme People’s Court of China in supervisory proceedings, overturning enforcement decisions issued by provincial and municipal courts.
 
In addition to his legal practice, Dr. Zhang serves as an arbitrator with leading institutions, including the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre, Shanghai International Arbitration Centre, Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration, Hainan International Arbitration Court, and Zhuhai Court of International Arbitration. He also contributes to academic and policy research as a researcher at the China Arbitration Institute of China University of Political Science and Law, and as a senior researcher at the Arbitration Institute of the Xi'an Arbitration Commission.
 
Dr. Zhang is actively involved in legal education, serving as an adjunct faculty member at several esteemed universities, including the University of International Business and Economics, China University of Political Science and Law, and East China University of Political Science and Law. He also lectured for three consecutive years in the "International Arbitration Open Course" jointly offered by HKIAC and Fudan University Law School—a program recognized as the “Outstanding Legal Practice Course of 2021” by Fudan University, where he was named the “Most Popular Lecturer of 2022.”

 

Education

LL.B., LL.M. & Ph.D. in Law, China University of Political Science and Law

LL.M., George Washington University Law School

Visiting Scholar, Columbia University Law School

 

Admissions

Admitted to the Bar of the People's Republic of China

Admitted to the Bar of New York State, United States

Admitted to the Bar of California State, United States

 

Professional Activities

Arbitrator, Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre

Arbitrator, Shanghai International Arbitration Centre

Arbitrator, Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration

Arbitrator, Hainan International Arbitration Court

Arbitrator, Zhuhai Court of International Arbitration

Researcher, China Arbitration Institute, China University of Political Science and Law

Senior Researcher, Institute of Arbitration, Xi’an Arbitration Commission

Adjunct Faculty, China University of Political Science and Law

Adjunct Faculty, University of International Business and Economics

Adjunct Faculty, East China University of Political Science and Law