Chinese Business Lawyers Association ("CBLA") was established in light of these historical trends:

1. China     After thirty years of reform and opening, China has reached a stage where the promotion of the rule of law has become imperative for sustainable economic growth and social development.

2. U.S. and China      Over the past thirty years of reform and opening, China has been learning from the U.S. legal system.  Such learning is becoming increasingly a mutual exchange, as the recent global financial crisis highlights the need for countries around the world to work together on global regulatory issues.

3. Our Growing Community       Over the past thirty years, the number of Mandarin-speaking and U.S.-qualified lawyers has increased significantly.  Whether now in China, in the U.S. or elsewhere, these lawyers are making a significant difference in private practice, governments, corporations, public interest organizations and academic institutions.   However, until CBLA, there had not been an organization for this fast-growing community.

Our Missions

CBLA is dedicated to these missions:

1. To identify and address issues and concerns unique to Chinese and Chinese American business lawyers qualified to practice law in the United States; and 
2. To promote research and education on the business laws of the United States and China by furthering and encouraging interactions and exchanges of ideas among Chinese and Chinese American business lawyers, law students, other individuals, groups and communities.

Our Newsletters 

April 2009 CBLA Newsletter

July 2009 CBLA Newsletter

October 2009 CBLA Newsletter

March 2010 CBLA Newsletter

Our Inauguration

The CBLA's opening ceremony was held on the evening of April 9, 2009 at the office of Goodwin Procter in the New York Times Building.

A total of 122 professionals attended the event, including 81 U.S.-qualified lawyers. Of those lawyers, 68 registered as members of the CBLA on the spot.

Our members come from approximately 40 employers, including 9 of the top 10 law firms (based on Vault 2009 prestige ranking), and obtained their U.S. law degrees from 20 law schools, including 14 of the top 15 (based on US News 2008 ranking). Our members also reflect a wide diversity in terms of ethnicity, country of origin, non-legal experience and seniority - their law school class years range over a quarter of a century, from 1982 to 2008.

Click here to learn more about our inauguration.

CBLA was incorporated as a New York Not-For-Profit corporation on August 13, 2009 and is currently seeking Section 501(c)(6) tax-exempt status.