Yan Penghe (Harvey)

Lawyer Harvey Yan graduated from Peking University with a Master of Laws degree. He has been practicing law since 2009 and has accumulated more than 15 years of professional experience. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Management Committee and Senior Partner of Zhong Yin Law Firm’s Beijing headquarters.

Mr. Yan focuses on corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, and cross-border investment. He is dedicated to integrating legal expertise with commercial insight to provide clients with solutions that are strategic, practical, and sustainable. His clients include central state-owned enterprises, local SOEs, leading private companies, and multinational corporations—many of which play a key role in China’s “Going Global” strategy.

His services cover investment structuring, outbound M&A, joint venture negotiations, EPC contracting, and technology contribution. Mr. Yan is widely recognized by clients for his unique ability to blend legal and commercial perspectives, extensive professional experience, and effective cross-cultural and English communication skills.

• Series of Equity Acquisitions in an Inner Mongolia Petrochemical Enterprise by a Leading Russian Oil and Gas Company (Lead Chinese Legal Counsel) Harvey Yan led the legal team advising a leading Russian oil and gas company on its acquisition of a controlling stake in a petrochemical enterprise in Inner Mongolia. He provided comprehensive legal services throughout the transaction, including due diligence on the target company, drafting and negotiating transaction documents, and managing closing. He also delivered expert advice on antitrust review and regulatory requirements before government authorities. This project was recognized as a “Selected Case for Cross-Border Trade, Investment, and M&A Legal Services 2024” by Xinhuanet and the Lawyer Science Research Center of China University of Political Science and Law.
• RMB 10 Billion Joint Venture between a Leading Agricultural Enterprise and a Russian State-Owned Enterprise (Co-Lead Counsel for Cross-Border Transactions) Harvey Yan acted as overall legal counsel on a cross-border joint venture between a leading domestic feed-processing enterprise and a Russian state-owned enterprise, with a total investment of approximately RMB 10 billion. The joint venture was structured using intellectual property (know-how) as a capital contribution. Harvey’s services included designing the transaction pathway for the company’s overseas expansion, advising on outbound investment compliance and regulatory requirements, drafting and negotiating transaction documents, and handling legal issues concerning the export of intellectual property and its conversion into equity overseas.
• Specialized Legal Services for CGGC on “Belt and Road” Projects Across Multiple Jurisdictions (Overseas Project Legal Counsel) Harvey Yan was retained as special legal counsel to CGGC International Ltd., advising the company and its group on a wide range of overseas matters. His work has covered investment and establishment of foreign enterprises, EPC projects, international bidding, cross-border financing, compliance, and dispute resolution in jurisdictions including Argentina, Guyana, Venezuela, Indonesia, and Pakistan.
• Investment and Acquisition in a Bangladeshi PPP Project Company and EPC General Contracting Project (Co-Lead Counsel for Cross-Border Transactions) Harvey Yan acted as co-lead counsel in advising a Chinese state-owned enterprise on its investment in, and acquisition of equity in, a Bangladeshi PPP project company, as well as on a related EPC general contracting project. The construction project represents the first elevated expressway connecting Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, with its port. Harvey’s role covered the full spectrum of legal services, including outbound direct investment (ODI) compliance, assessment and structuring of the investment framework, negotiation of overseas engineering contracts, and management of cross-border legal risks.
• Investment and Development of the China–Philippines Clark New City Industrial Park by a Central SOE (Co-Lead Counsel for Cross-Border Transactions) This flagship project, endorsed by the leaders of both China and the Philippines, was entrusted to a central state-owned enterprise for implementation. With a planned total investment of USD 4 billion, it involves the development of the 500-hectare Clark New City Industrial Park on the former site of the U.S. military base in the Philippines. Harvey Yan was engaged as co-lead counsel to provide full-spectrum legal services, including structuring of domestic and offshore holding entities, analysis of the host country’s legal environment, transaction structuring and tax planning, legal risk assessment and management, land acquisition and project development, as well as evaluation of financing products for the project company.

• Competition
• M&A
• Project development
• Project finance
• Trade finance

• Agriculture
• Construction and materials
• Oil and gas
• Technology and telecommunications

• Master of Laws, Peking University, 2005

• Founding Member, Swiss-Chinese Law Association (SCLA), 2019
• Member, Legal Rights Protection Lawyers Team, All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC), 2019
• Member of the M&A Expert Committee, China Mergers & Acquisitions Association (CMAA), 2022
• Arbitrator, Beihai Asia International Arbitration Centre (BAIAC), 2023
• Director, China Machinery Industry Enterprise Management Association (CMMA), 2024
• Deputy Director of the "Belt and Road" Professional Committee, China Machinery Industry Enterprise Management Association(CMMA), 2025

• Attorney Qualification of PRC, 2009