Guantao partners Deng Zhe and Lyu Yi listed on CBLJ’s "The A-List 2024-25: Growth Drivers"
On January 21, 2025, the internationally renowned legal media China Business Law Journal (CBLJ) unveiled its "The A-List 2024-25: Growth Drivers". Guantao partners Deng Zhe and Lyu Yi were honored on the list for their exceptional market performance. c
Deng Zhe
Partner, Guantao Shanghai Office
Practice Area: Litigation & Arbitration, Investment and Financing, M&A, Corporate and Commercial
Email: dengz@guantao.com
Deng Zhe holds multiple prestigious appointments, including: Deputy Director of the Mediation Committee at the Shanghai Bar Association; Public Interest Legal Expert Volunteer for the Shanghai People’s Procuratorate; Director of the EMBA New Media Association at Fudan University; Mentor for the Juris Master Program at Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Career and Entrepreneurship Mentor at Shanghai University of Political Science and Law; Inaugural Mediator at the North Bund Multi-Commercial Mediation Center; Permanent Judge for the University Copyright Competition under the Hubei Provincial Copyright Bureau; Executive Vice President of the Shanghai Hubei Enshi Chamber of Commerce.
Deng Zhe has been recognized with numerous prestigious accolades: the Sixth "Shanghai Top 10 Outstanding Young Lawyers"; The Legal500 Asia-Pacific Recommended lawyer in "Dispute Resolution," "Intellectual Property," and "TMT"; China Business Law Journal’s The A-List; Shanghai Lawyers’ Industry Contribution Award; Champion at the 2018 Super Speaker national competition; First East China Six-Province-One-City Lawyers’ Debate Championship & Best Debater; Champion of the First "NIO Cup" Six Provinces (Municipalities) Lawyers’ Debate Competition; Shanghai Prosecutor-Lawyer Debate Championship & Best Debater; Third Prize for Outstanding Thesis at the East China Lawyers Forum; Third Shanghai Lawyers’ Academic Competition – Awards for "Legal Briefs," "Non-Litigation Documents," and "Research Papers"; First Shanghai Lawyers’ Academic Competition – Recognized for pioneering legal research; Outstanding Performance Award at the First "Building a Legal Professionals Exchange Platform" Mock Court Competition.
Lyu Yi
Partner, Guantao Shanghai Office
Practice Area: Major Commercial Arbitration and Litigation, Administrative Review and Litigation
Email: lvyi@guantao.com
Lyu Yi holds the following key appointments: Part-time Legal Consultant for the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization; Standing Committee Member of the 14th and 15th Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Hongkou District Committee; Visiting Professor for the Master of Public Administration (MPA) Program at Tongji University School of Economics and Management; Master’s Supervisor at East China University of Political Science and Law; Arbitrator at the Shanghai International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission.
Lyu Yi specializes in resolving major commercial and administrative disputes, delivering high-quality and efficient legal services over a 20 years of practice. His key recognitions and achievements include: 3rd Oriental Top Lawyer; Chambers Greater China 2025 – Ranked as an "Eminent Practitioner" in Dispute Resolution: Litigation (4 consecutive years); ALB China Top 15 Litigation Lawyers. He has handled over 1,000 cases, primarily serving Fortune 500 clients, such as: ZF Group, Siemens, H&M, Accor Group, Asia Pulp & Paper (APP), DSM, CNPC (China National Petroleum Corporation), State Grid Corporation, Shanghai Pharmaceuticals Holding, China Baowu Steel Group, Sinochem International, Shanghai Tobacco Group, Sino-French Water Development.
To identify the year’s most market-revered legal professionals, CBLJconducted a rigorous selection process, inviting in-house counsel and executives from Chinese and multinational corporations with China-related business, partners from domestic and international law firms, and legal experts across industries to nominate lawyers they deemed exceptionally outstanding. The 2024-25 "Growth Drivers" spotlights pillars of law firm growth—seasoned practitioners characterized by deep expertise, decades of frontline experience, and unparalleled reputations in high-stakes market engagements.
