Alex Roberts

TMT Counsel, Shanghai

“I bridge disciplines and regulatory regimes to help clients overcome challenges and achieve their strategic goals. Through working closely with clients on their China-related matters for over 10 years, I have become extremely familiar with the domestic legal regime in a dynamic global context. My extensive experience of market terms, backed by my capability in English and Chinese puts me in a strong position to truly understand clients’ needs and to ultimately provide excellent legal service.”

Overview

Professional experience

Education and qualifications

Overview

Alex is a counsel in our Linklaters’ mainland China team, based in Shanghai, and is one of the lead lawyers in our Tech sector group in Asia.

He advises financial institutions, corporates, financial sponsors and funds in cross-border M&A and other commercial transactions, covering a wide range of sectors, such as TMT, financial services and healthcare. He frequently advises on company and commercial law issues as well as technology and data transfer arrangements relating to PRC cybersecurity and data protection.

Having trained in London before relocating to Shanghai, Alex brings extensive international experience to our mainland China practice with an ability to understand different systems and cultural diversity to ensure that clients are able to navigate unfamiliar corporate and commercial transactions successful and efficiently.

 
Work highlights

Representative legal matters include

Corporate / M&A

  • Cevian Capital on the US$3.8bn sale of its stake in Volvo’s truck business to Geely, a transaction through which Geely became the largest shareholder in Volvo 
  • Novartis on the mainland China aspects of its £11bn global three-part transaction with GlaxoSmithKline to acquire GSK’s oncology portfolio, create a consumer healthcare joint venture, and sell its non-influenza vaccines business
  • Privé Technologies, a Hong Kong SAR-based online wealth management platform on the cornerstone investments by Credit Suisse and Samsung, and the related business collaboration arrangements

Data protection

  • a global provider of cancer and cardiac care services on the data protection considerations of establishing a remote diagnosis platform in partnership with Chinese hospitals, in order to link local doctors specialising in cancer treatment with international practitioners
  • one of the world’s largest venture capital investment funds, which focuses on the technology sector, on the cybersecurity and data protection aspects of its proposed establishment in mainland China
  • a multinational company on the data protection aspects of its acquisition and integration of a leading snack retailer in mainland China

Fintech, technology and procurement

  • one of Asia’s largest payment platforms on the mainland China financial regulatory and data protection aspects of building a new cross-border e-wallet remittance service
  • a world-wide provider of working capital finance on the PRC regulatory and data protection aspects of its potential expansion into the Chinese factoring market, including establishment of a digital trade finance platform
  • a multinational automotive enterprise on data transfer, consumer protection and unfair contract terms in respect of its proposed electric car online remote update system
  • a large South American e-commerce marketplace on mainland China’s market-entry regulatory and customs considerations, including structuring advice on possible business models for cross-border e-commerce

Professional experience

Alex was elected to the Executive Committee of the British Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai in 2020 and has served as the Co-Chair of the Chamber’s Legal and Compliance Committee since 2018, having previously acted as Chairman of the Shanghai Free Trade Zone Focus Group. Alex is also a member of the European Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai.

Education and qualifications

Alex attended the Legal Practice Course (English Law) at BPP Law School, London and holds a Graduate Diploma in Law from Nottingham Law School, UK. He obtained his bachelor degree with Honours in Architecture from Cambridge University. He has also completed an executive MBA at China Europe International Business School in Shanghai, a course currently ranked 5th in the Financial Times Rankings.