Hairong Tao

Mr. Tao is a Partner at Watson & Band Law Offices，and also an Arbitrator of Shanghai Arbitration Commission（SAC）and Shanghai International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (Shanghai International Arbitration Center)(SHIAC).

Mr. Tao joined Watson & Band Law Offices in July 2016. As an expert in dispute resolution through litigation and arbitration, Mr. Tao is particularly experienced in disputes involving complex commercial issues, corporate governance, intellectual property and real estate, based on which he is able to provide clients with comprehensive legal solutions.

Before joining Watson & Band, Mr. Tao served as judge at the Shanghai Intermediate People’s Court, where he accumulated over ten years of experience in trial proceedings. As a trial and appellate judge, he tried over 400 cases that involved civil and commercial issues, intellectual property and family law, thereby accumulating rich experience in all of these fields. He has been honored by the Supreme People’s Court of China for his outstanding work.

Mr. Tao graduated from the Southwest University of Political Science and Law and the Huazhong University of Science and Technology. His master’s degree in law and his bachelor’s degree in applied electronic technology have provided him with a comprehensive knowledge base. He qualified as a lawyer in 2000 and as a patent agent in 2013. In 2006 he attended a training program at the University of Wisconsin Law School offered by the U.S. state and federal courts.

Mr. Tao also worked for Shanghai Baosteel Group and Chongqing Wudu Law Firm, where he was responsible for management and legal matters, respectively. During that period he was named runner-up in the Chongqing finals of the First National Lawyers’ Debate Contest.