Ms. Jessica Fei is a widely recognized leading international arbitration and dispute resolution specialist with close to 30 years’ experience working with international arbitration institutions and leading firms in New York and Asia.  She is currently the joint coordinator of King & Wood Mallesons’ worldwide arbitration practice.

Constantly ranked and recommended by leading legal media including Chambers, Legal 500, and ALB, Jessica is one of the very few leading international arbitration practitioners (acting as counsel and arbitrator)  with mainland Chinese background and dual qualifications (Chinese and New York) as well as extensive cross-border experience handling disputes between Chinese and foreign parties.

Jessica focuses her practice on international arbitration, litigation and alternative disputes resolution. She represents and assists clients in international arbitrations (including CIETAC, HKIAC, SIAC, ICC, LCIA, SCC, AAA/ICDR, CEAC, BAC and UNCITRAL) and litigation matters inside and outside China in both English and Chinese languages. She handles disputes relating to energy, infrastructure and construction, trade, international investment (eg Sino-foreign joint venture disputes), merger & acquisition, manufacturing, distribution, and intellectual property (e.g. Licensing agreement) matters among others. Jessica is particularly experienced in advising clients in foreign-related arbitrations in China and overseas arbitration and litigation.

Jessica has been involved in international arbitration work since 1994. She has about eight years of experience working as a case manager and research fellow with leading international arbitration institutions, including CIETAC in Beijing and the ICDR/AAA in New York, where she administered and coordinated more than 300 international arbitration and mediation cases.

Working Experience

Prior to joining KWM Jessica has practiced for a number of years with leading international law firms based in Beijing, Shanghai, New York, Singapore and Hong Kong. Immediately prior to KWM, Jessica was a dispute resolution/ arbitration partner of Herbert Smith Freehills in Beijing during 2011 and 2019.

She sits regularly as arbitrator in commercial arbitration cases, and is listed on the international arbitrator panels of the ICDR/AAA, HKIAC, SIAC, CIETAC, AIAC, KCAB, CEAC, CRCICA, JCAA etc. Jessica is a court member of SIAC Court of Arbitration, a member of the International/ Asia Advisory Committee of the AAA/ICDR, a member of the CEAC Advisory Board, Vice President of the UIA Litigation Committee and China Chapter Chair of NYSBA (New York State Bar Association) International Section.

Education background

Ms. Fei received a B.A. in English language from the Beijing Foreign Studies University and a LL.M. from Law School of the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE)  and Columbia University School of Law (New York, U.S.).

Ms. Fei is qualified in the PRC and New York State.

Working languages

Jessica’s working languages are Chinese and English, and she is proficient in French.

Selective Credentials

• a Korean company in a CIETAC arbitration in Beijing against a Chinese shipping company concerning disputes arising from supply contracts of engines under Chinese law
• a few Chinese subsidiaries of US based international company in their CIETAC arbitration matters concerning early termination of long-term industrial gas take-or-pay contracts and claim of damages, the amount in disputes is over RMB50 million
• a trading company in two CIETAC arbitrations arising from international sale of goods contracts and debt collection matters against Indonesian buyer, the amount in dispute is over USD 25 million
• a leading global Japanese trading company in a CIETAC arbitration and its enforcement proceedings, as well as a related HKIAC arbitration, concerning a share repurchase option dispute arising from a joint venture agreement with a Chinese company governed by PRC law. The claim amount is over RMB 1.5 billion.
• a Chinese enterprise training service provider in a Hong Kong-seated HKIAC arbitration and related court proceedings against a Chinese education institution regarding intellectual property disputes including IP licensing disputes. The dispute is governed by Hong Kong law
• a biological sensor technology company in a Hong Kong-seated HKIAC arbitration against a Chinese individual regarding shares and options in a start-up company that develops biological sensors. The dispute is governed by Hong Kong law
• a BVI company in an Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC) arbitration under Hong Kong law, concerning disputes arising from a multi-billion RMB acquisition of a well-known Chinese skin care group of companies
• an overseas subsidiary of a Chinese energy company in two ad hoc arbitrations under UNCITRAL Rules in Hong Kong for disputes arising from various financing agreements for the acquisition and operation of offshore oil assets in Africa, the amount in dispute is about USD 3 billion
• a well-known multinational chemical company in a Singapore seated SIAC arbitration against a Chinese company in relation to dispute under license agreements. The dispute is governed by Singapore law
• a private company in two SIAC arbitrations in Singapore against US companies regarding China joint venture disputes in textile industry governed by Chinese law
• a USA subsidiary of a large Chinese oil and gas state-owned company (its international transaction sector) in a Singapore-seated SIAC arbitration arising from a sale of goods (LNG equipment) agreement governed by Singapore law
• a major Chinese SOE in energy sector in a SIAC arbitration seated in Singapore. The dispute arises from a joint venture agreement with a US company specialized in fracturing technology. The dispute is governed by Chinese law
• a Chinese state owned company in a SIAC arbitration arising from a share purchase agreement. The share purchase agreement is governed by Turkish law relating to the purchase in shares in the electricity sale and distribution companies in Turkey
• a Chinese SOE in a multi-million US dollar SCC arbitration seated in Stockholm in relation to disputes arising from an international supply contract of drilling machinery concerning complex construction and quality issues. And successful enforcement in Russia
• a Chinese state-owned automobile company in a SCC arbitration in relation to a joint venture dispute with a Canadian magnesium die-casting company under PRC laws
• an European manufacturer in a SCC arbitration relating to a technology license agreement regarding the construction of power plants in Asia
• a Saudi Arabia subsidiary of a Chinese SOE on a Singapore-seated ICC arbitration arising from an aromatic project subcontract governed by English Law in relation to a petrochemical project in Saudi Arabia
• a Chinese SOE in an ICC arbitration seated in Geneva arising out of a contract governed by Hong Kong law for the sale and purchase of solar power equipment, and in relation to the successful settlement of the disputes
• a subsidiary of a leading Chinese energy company in a high profile LCIA arbitration seated in London against a Russian party relating to an acquisition of oil and gas assets in Central Asia, the total amount in disputes is around USD1.2 billion (it was the largest dispute a Chinese company was ever involved in 2014)
• A Chinese state owned company in relation to an LCIA arbitration arising from indemnity disputes under a share purchase agreement. The share purchase agreement is governed by English law relating to purchase of shares from a company that holds working interests in oil blocks in Egypt
• a Chinese SOE in a multi-billion dollar disputes against a US company in relation to production sharing contracts governed by Chinese law and potential UNCITRAL arbitration and ICSID arbitration
• a Chinese insurance company in a potential ad hoc arbitration in Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration regarding its rights and obligations as an insurer under a contract for the conversion of a semi-submersible platform. The conversion contract was entered into by a Chinese shipbuilder and a Singapore ship owner. The conversion contract is governed by English law
• a Chinese private oil and gas company in an AAA arbitration seated in Houston arising out of a Farmout Agreement on an oil and gas project in the United States with a large American oil and gas company
• the Beijing and Hong Kong subsidiaries of a leading Chinese energy company in an English High Court lawsuit concerning contract and infringement disputes with an American shipbroking firm for the transportation of crude oil in West Africa and the Middle East, with matter value over hundreds of millions of dollars

Accolades

• Leading individual: Dispute Resolution – Asia Pacific Legal 500 2017-2023
• Leading individual – Dispute Resolution: Arbitration (International Firms), China/Hong Kong – Chambers Asia Pacific 2013-2023
• World’s leading arbitration specialist – The International Who’s Who of Commercial Arbitration 2014-2023
• Women in Business Law, Commercial Arbitration – China – Expert Guide 2012-2023
• ALB China Top Female Lawyers 2016