Asia Business Law Journal uncovers the premier professionals leading the way in Taiwan’s legal landscape. Miran Lim and Brian Yap report.
As Taiwan enters 2025, its legal landscape is undergoing a significant transformation that will shape business operations, financial transactions and compliance strategies. From reforms on wages to much stricter anti-money laundering controls, these changes highlight the critical role of legal counsel in navigating an increasingly complex environment. A notable development is the minimum wage hike that took effect on 1 January, increasing the monthly minimum to NTD28,590 (USD874) and the hourly rate to NTD190 (USD5.81).
Meanwhile, the central bank’s decision to double the annual foreign exchange settlement quotas signals a push to position Taiwan as a leading asset management hub in Asia. The move, which raises the cap to USD100 million for companies, will reshape corporate financing, investment strategies and regulatory compliance obligations.
The digital finance sector is also seeing heightened scrutiny. The Financial Supervisory Commission has introduced new anti-money laundering (AML) regulations for virtual asset service providers (VASPs), requiring full compliance by September. Non-compliance will result in fines of up to NTD5 million or prison sentences of up to two years.
In the face of these legal developments, businesses are increasingly turning to top legal minds for guidance. It is against this backdrop that Asia Business Law Journal presents its A-List of Taiwan’s top 100 lawyers and 15 Legal Icons, a recognition of the legal professionals at the forefront of these regulatory shifts.
Not your cookie-cutter advice
Comments provided to Asia Business Law Journal from clients indicate a clear preference for lawyers who go beyond simply providing legal analysis to take into account various possible business considerations and regulatory risks when providing advice to clients.
JPMorgan’s Taipei-based vice president, Amy Chu, worked with Jeffrey Liu, a partner at Lexcel Partners in Taipei, during her time at BlackRock Taiwan. She describes Liu as a lawyer who gives insightful and actionable advice to clients that transcends legal analysis, incorporating both business considerations and regulatory risk management.
“His professionalism is evident in every aspect of his work,” says Chu. “He consistently delivers precise and timely opinions, demonstrating exceptional efficiency and dedication.”
Chu adds that Liu’s communication skills are equally impressive, as he works effectively with regulators while also excelling at engaging and persuading stakeholders, making him both a legal expert and a dependable, forward-thinking partner who can bring value to every collaboration.
Angela Yang, a former general counsel at BlackRock Taiwan in Taipei, has also worked with Liu at Lexcel Partners, and calls him “one of the best Taiwan lawyers in the legal industry”, having more than two decades of legal experience in the capital market and asset management areas.
Like Chu at JPMorgan, Yang also points to Liu’s ability not only to account for legal analysis, but also to assess business considerations and regulatory risks when advising clients. The former BlackRock general counsel in Taiwan also adds that Liu is excellent at communicating with competent authorities.
“[Jeffrey Liu] is my firm’s go-to expert whenever there is a tough legal issue, and always patiently helps us navigate through complicated situations and brings us over the finish line,” says Yang.
Specialists over generalists
With the rapid emergence of new financial instruments and technological inventions in recent years, adding both diversity and complexity to existing business operational and transactional models, clients are increasingly seeking specialised, rather than general, legal advice.
Peggy Su, general manager at Golden Canyon Venture Capital Investment in Taipei, singles out Taipei-based Lee and Li partner Eddie Hsiung for praise. While pointing to Hsiung’s extensive knowledge of corporate law, M&A, cross-border investment as well as private equity and venture capital in Taiwan, Su emphasises the lawyer’s high reputation in the emerging and startup legal sectors.
“[Eddie Hsiung] excels at effectively helping integrate resources to solve problems for his clients, especially when the client’s matter has rather few precedents or requires specialised knowledge or resources,” says Su.
Taipei-based Formosa Transnational senior partner Jackson Shuai-Sheng Huang is another example of a legal specialist with an unrivalled depth of legal knowledge.
Alfred Ting, stakeholder manager at BlueFloat Energy in Taipei, has worked closely with Huang on important projects and has been deeply impressed by Huang’s exceptional legal expertise and professionalism.
While acknowledging Huang’s profound expertise in corporate and commercial law, as well as intellectual property and dispute resolution, Ting points specifically to the senior partner’s deep insight into the regulatory framework for corporate power purchase agreements (CPPAs).
Ting explains that Huang has expertly identified critical gaps in existing regulations, such as their conservative nature and lack of flexibility, that fail to fully address corporate demand for renewable-energy procurement.
“He [Jackson Shuai-Sheng Huang] has proactively offered constructive recommendations to relevant government departments, significantly enhancing the practicality and operability of these regulations,” says Ting.
Ting adds that Huang has also made “remarkable contributions” to promoting green-energy financing by advocating for measures such as introducing government guarantees and easing loan conditions to mitigate risks for financial institutions.
“These efforts have not only encouraged greater financial support for green-energy projects but also accelerated Taiwan’s energy transition,” says Ting.
For Ponora Ang, a partner and co-leader of the Asia-Pacific group at Fasken in Montreal, a specialist must have a unique ability to grasp the business culture and mindset of businesses in different markets.
Ang has collaborated with Taipei-based Brain Trust International Law Firm’s managing partner, Hung (Mark) Ou Yang, on multiple matters. Ang has been particularly impressed by Ou Yang’s unique ability to provide extensive and strategic advice relating to transactions between Taiwanese and Canadian companies.
“[Hung (Mark) Ou Yang] has a business approach that allows clients to feel that their lawyers understand the commercial objective of a contemplated transaction,” says Ang.
Finest execution
At the end of the day, what clients appreciate the most from their lawyers is the spotless execution of legal services – be it contentious or uncontentious.
For Duk Woo Suh, senior foreign attorney at Dongin Law Group in Seoul, such execution requires precision, and that is precisely what is delivered by Colin Wu, a partner at Lin & Partners in Taipei.
Suh has been impressed by Wu’s ability to argue with precision in court and to navigate negotiations with creativity, always finding the best path forward for his clients.
“If I had to trust someone with a complex legal matter, [Colin Wu] would be at the top of my list,” says Suh.
Dedication and experience
Expertise, flexibility and fine execution ability are only some of the qualities that clients look at when deciding whether a lawyer is reliable. Dedication and experience are two other key factors contributing to the establishment of trust.
Craig Loveless, a partner at Norton Rose Fulbright in Singapore, applauds the dedication of KPMG Taiwan’s Taipei-based partner, Eugenia Chuang, to her clients as well as her significant contribution to the legal community in Taiwan.
“Eugenia has successfully handled numerous complex cases, earning respect from peers and clients, and definitely me. Her strategic thinking and meticulous attention to detail help,” says Loveless.
Lee and Li’s Taipei-based partner, Gary Chen, has earned the trust of Regina Wang, vice president of KGI Securities in Taipei, with his extensive experience in providing comprehensive legal services to foreign investors, including in company establishment, corporate restructuring, and investment project planning and execution.
Wang commends Chen’s deep understanding of complex transactional frameworks and his strong background in M&A, successfully handling numerous cross-border transactions while demonstrating skill in deal structuring, due diligence and contract negotiations.
Compiling the A-List
The A-List is based on extensive research conducted by Asia Business Law Journal. To identify the top lawyers in Taiwan, we turned to thousands of in-house counsel in Taiwan and around the world – as well as partners at international law firms – and asked them to tell us which lawyers should make the cut.
A-List Lawyers were defined on the nomination form as “Lawyers who are currently the star performers of Taiwan’s legal profession; the lawyers who are personally undertaking the country’s top legal work, crafting the most cutting-edge legal solutions to complex problems, and setting the highest standards in terms of quality, innovation and the ability to handle complex matters”.
Legal Icons were defined as “Lawyers who are the luminaries of Taiwan’s legal profession; the titans who command the respect of clients and juniors alike; the mentors who lead Taiwan’s most admired law firms and/or legal teams, and the country’s most prolific rainmakers”.
All Taiwanese private practice lawyers and foreign lawyers based in the country were automatically eligible for inclusion in the nomination process. As always, there were no fees or any other requirements for entry.
