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Zhe DENG
Equity Partner / Shanghai
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Email dengzhe@zhonglun.com
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Practices

Litigation & Arbitration, Corporate & Commercial Crime, IP Licensing & Enforcement
Zhe DENG
Mr. Zhe Deng mainly focuses his practice on complex commercial conflict resolution, corporate crisis management, and culture and entertainment.
He has an extensive track record of handling complex disputes and major conflicts involving intertwined legal, commercial, and practical issues. His work spans corporate control disputes, major investment conflicts, criminal risks, regulatory pressure, or public opinion response, with focus not only on legal assessment, but also on coordinating stakeholder interests, managing conflict situations, and identifying solutions in complex environments.
Since beginning his practice, Mr. Deng has handled a number of high-profile dispute resolution matters, including the case of Lin Qi, founder of Youzu Interactive, and its subsequent series of disputes, the equity disputes related to the Three-Body Project, as well as various complex cases involving listed company control, investment and M&A, crisis management, and high-stakes stakeholder dynamics.
In addition to dispute resolution, Mr. Deng has long advised leading internet companies, cultural and entertainment institutions, and innovative enterprises. He has participated in the investment, production, distribution, and dispute resolution of leading game projects such as League of Legends and Delta Action, as well as leading film and television works such as Home Coming and A Cool Fish.
Mr. Deng has been repeatedly recommended by international legal rating agencies such as Chambers, The Legal 500, and China Business Law Journal. He has garnered honors including Shanghai Top Ten Outstanding Young Lawyers and Shanghai Lawyer Industry Contribution Award, and has won multiple national debate competition championships and the national championship of Super Speaker.
His long-standing experience in both commercial cooperation and commercial conflict scenarios has enabled him to understand both how transactions are successfully concluded and why they sometimes fail. This dual perspective allows him to navigate both cooperative strategies and competitive dynamics, shaping a distinctive practice style.
Representative Matters
Criminal, civil, administrative, and commercial cross-border matters
Acted as lead counsel in the poisoning case of Lin Qi, founder of Youzu Interactive, and the subsequent series of securities disputes, equity disputes, contract disputes, and tort disputes involving the listed company and the Three-Body IP holding company. This case was ranked first in the Top Ten Major Felony Cases of the Supreme People's Procuratorate of China, exemplifying exceptional concurrent crisis response and coordinated handling of a range of derivative cases
Provided crisis negotiation and risk management services to multiple listed and pre-IPO companies in response to targeted obstruction by sensitive personnel at critical junctures, achieving crisis resolution and mitigating potential follow-on risks under challenging circumstances
Acted as counsel for a leading investment institution in a CNY 200 million criminal-civil hybrid cross-border capital increase dispute, and successfully achieved exit within three months, with full recovery of all investment principal, interest, and costs
Acted as counsel to an advertising company in a chain contract fraud case involving more than CNY 200 million in a single offense and more than ten prominent enterprises, successfully securing the client's reclassification from defendant to victim
Acted as counsel to multiple clients in responding to unfavorable administrative regulatory measures, and successfully obtained the revocation of administrative penalty decisions or the reissuance of administrative decisions by relevant administrative authorities in multiple cases
Dispute resolution
Acted as counsel to a financial institution in a series of entrusted wealth management contract disputes and property damage compensation disputes initiated by investors, and won all cases with all opposing claims dismissed in what is regarded as the first successful defense by a financial institution following the issuance of the Minutes of the Supreme People's Court's Ninth Civil and Commercial Trial Work Conference Minutes
Acted as counsel to an insurance company in an insurance agency contract dispute, which was selected into the People's Court Case Library of the Supreme People's Court and listed as a reference case
Acted as counsel to a short video platform in a copyright ownership and infringement dispute, which was selected into the first annual "Top Ten Most Researchable Cases in China's Pan-Entertainment Industry" by the Shanghai Intellectual Property Research Institute
Acted as counsel to a top novelist in a copyright license contract dispute case, which is the first landmark precedent on the issue of overdue adaptation
Acted as counsel to multiple well-known film and television companies in disputes involving investment contracts and intellectual property infringement
Provided dispute resolution legal services to investors and producers of multiple well-known variety shows in disputes arising from the investment, production, operation, cooperation, and licensing of the shows
Represented a Shanghai-based film and television company in a series of disputes involving copyright licensing contracts, co-production contracts, and investment contracts against multiple parties including a top-tier video streaming platform and project investors
TMT, Media & Entertainment Industry Services
Advised on multiple flagship game projects, covering data privacy compliance, countering grey/black industrial chains, anti-fraud and anti-corruption, criminal crackdowns, traffic hijacking response, public relations crisis management, and other related matters
Advised a leading national social media platform, services including ongoing legal counsel, compliance review for product function design, and dispute analysis
Advised a top national short-video platform on its compliance, focusing on minor protection compliance, short-video and livestream platform regulatory compliance, and livestream e-commerce compliance
Provided end-to-end legal services for dozens of film and television productions, including Home Coming, End of Summer, Nobody 1/2/3, The Mad World, Fatal Shot, Long Night Fades Away, Escape Youthland, The Missing Elephant, Summer of Changsha, Meeting Father Again, Zhu Tong Loses His Superpower in Grade Three, Deep Abyss, The Hidden Man, Schrödinger's Door, and Alien Warfare
Advised on investment and financing in connection with numerous film and television projects, such as The Wandering Earth II, Assassin in Red 1 & 2, Ex-Files 4, Deafening Roar, 1950 They Were Young, Journey to the West Universe Editorial Department, The Legend of Luo Xiaohei, and Warrior
Advised on IP development in connection with multiple screen works including Seven Vicious Scripts, Flying Snow Fox, and Cold Rain
Provided end-to-end legal services for a wide range of stage plays, including One Hundred Thousand Bad Jokes, The Idiot Show, Hello Robbery, The Maid, Kevin's Bill, While the World Is Still Young, The Legend of Wanhu's Flight, and The Ghost Blows Out the Light
Honors and Awards
International Ratings
Recognized Practitioner in TMT: Media & Entertainment, Chambers Global, 2026
Recognized Practitioner in TMT: Media & Entertainment, Chambers Greater China, 2026
Shanghai Elite: TMT, The Legal 500 China Elite, 2026
Recognized Practitioner in TMT: Media & Entertainment, Chambers Greater China, 2025
The Growth Drivers, China Business Law Journal, 2025
Recommended Lawyer in Dispute Resolution, Intellectual Property, and TMT, The Legal 500 Asia Pacific, 2025
The A-List, China Business Law Journal, 2024
Recommended Lawyer in Dispute Resolution: Litigation, The Legal 500 Asia Pacific, 2024
Industry Awards
Top 50 Intellectual Property Elite Lawyers Under 50 in China, IPR Daily, 2026
Top 15 China Client Preferred Competition/Antitrust Lawyers, GRCD, 2025
Recommended Lawyer in Culture, Sports and Digital Creativity, GRCD, 2025
LegalOne Excellence Award (Model Level) Cases (4 cases), LegalOne, 2025
Shanghai Lawyer Industry Contribution Award, Shanghai Bar Association, 2024
Shanghai Lawyer Industry Contribution Award, Shanghai Bar Association, 2023
Shanghai Top Ten Outstanding Young Lawyers, Shanghai Bar Association, 2018
Competition Honors
Champion, First "NIO Cup" Six Provinces (Cities) Lawyers Debate Competition, 2023
National Champion, *Super Speaker*, 2018
Champion and Overall Best Debater, First East China Six Provinces and One City Lawyers Debate Competition, 2018
Champion and Overall Best Debater, Shanghai Public Prosecutor and Lawyer Team Debate Competition, 2018
Excellent Style Award, Moot Court Activity Co-hosted by Shanghai Judges Association and Shanghai Bar Association, 2016
Academic Awards
Third Prize in "Closing Statement" Category, Third Shanghai Lawyer Academic Competition, 2023
Excellence Award in "Non-litigation Legal Document" Category, Third Shanghai Lawyer Academic Competition, 2023
Excellence Award in "Paper and Research Project Report" Category, Third Shanghai Lawyer Academic Competition, 2023
Third Prize for Excellent Paper, East China Lawyers Forum, 2023
Excellence Award in "Paper and Research Project Report" Category, First Shanghai Lawyer Academic Competition, 2014
Memberships & Affiliations
Deputy Director, Mediation Professional Committee, Shanghai Bar Association
Deputy Head Coach, Shanghai Lawyers Debate Team
Adjunct Supervisor of LLM Program, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Expert Advisor, International Mediation Research Center, East China University of Political Science and Law
Employment and Entrepreneurship Mentor, Shanghai University of Political Science and Law
Expert Volunteer for "Benefiting the Public with Dedication", Shanghai People's Procuratorate
First Batch of Mediators, Shanghai Oriental International Commercial Mediation Court
APEC Neutral Expert, North Bund Multimodal Commercial Mediation Center
Director, New Media Association, Fudan University EMBA Program
Permanent Judge, University Copyright Competition, Hubei Provincial Copyright Administration
Executive Vice President, Shanghai Hubei Enshi Chamber of Commerce
Publications
“An Overview of the Current Status of Industry Mediation in China”, Shanghai Lawyer, 2020
“Research Report on the Current Status of Major Mediation Forms in China” (White Paper) (chief editor), Shanghai Bar Association, 2020
“Practice Guidelines for Lawyers Handling Commercial Litigation Business Processes” (co-editor), Shanghai Bar Association, 2019
“The Dialectics of Growth for Young Lawyers”, Shanghai Lawyer, 2018
“Life is Like an Adverse Journey, I Am Also a Pedestrian”, Shanghai Lawyer, 2017
“Scientific Logical Methods in Legal Thinking” (chief editor), Central China Normal University Press, 2014
“A Feast of Thoughts, A Joyful Song of the City” (co-author), Shanghai Higher Education Electronic Audio-Visual Press, 2013
“How to Have Both: Without Hurting Feelings or Money”, Marie Claire, 2013
“Legal Logic Course” (co-editor), Higher Education Press, 2013
“The Most Abundant Life”, Shanghai Lawyer, 2012
“The Journey”, Shanghai Bar Association, 2012
“Steve Jobs and the Spirit of Capitalism”, Oriental Weekly, 2011
“On the Uncertainty of Legal Interpretation” (co-author), Enterprise Guide, 2010
“Legal Logic Case Course” (co-editor), Fudan University Press, 2009
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Bar Admissions/Professional Qualifications
PRC Bar, 2012
PRC Legal Professional Qualification Certificate, 2009 -
Education
J.D. (candidate), Fudan University, 2025 to present
EMBA, Fudan University, 2020-2024
M.A. in Logic, Central China Normal University, 2008-2011
LL.B., Central China Normal University, 2001-2005 -
Professional Experience
Partner, Zhong Lun Law Firm, 2026 to present
Senior partner, partner, and associate, Beijing Guantao Zhongmao (Shanghai) Law Firm, 2012-2025 -
Languages
Chinese
English