Seasoned China lawyer and entrepreneur with over 25 years’ experience living and working in China.
Jeremy’s keen interest in China began back in 1978 when, whilst living in Hong Kong, he joined one of the first foreign tour groups visiting Guangzhou. Fascinated with the language and culture, Jeremy enrolled on his undergraduate degree course in Modern Chinese Studies at Leeds University in the UK, a course which saw Jeremy spending a year as an exchange student at Fudan University in Shanghai from 1985-86.
In 1998, having completed postgraduate studies in law in the UK, and following the completion of his two-year training contract in Hong Kong with Stephenson Harwood, a major City of London law firm, Jeremy moved to Guangzhou to assist the firm open and develop its first office in Mainland China.
Over the following decade, Jeremy was instrumental in building up the firm’s China practice. Following China’s accession to the WTO in 2000, demand for legal services in China grew rapidly and the firm was able to develop steadily, opening a second Mainland Office in Shanghai in 2004. Jeremy, by then a partner in the firm, together with his team, working closely with the firm’s Hong Kong and London offices, assisted clients with many legal aspects of establishing and operating business in China – including general corporate/commercial, company incorporation, licencing, due diligence, M&A, regulatory, employment and so forth.
In 2007, Jeremy embarked upon his entrepreneurial journey and established JSA, a legal consulting company offering commercial and legal consulting services to foreign companies across China. Jeremy continues to advise clients, including multinationals, SMEs, individual business owners and foreign Embassies and Consulates, on China-related matters.
Alongside JSA, in 2010, Jeremy and his wife Qing Qing opened their first gastro-bar, “The Happy Monk” in Guangzhou. The Happy Monk has grown to become an award-winning brand in the hospitality industry, with a team of 150 employees, operating four busy downtown locations in Guangzhou and Shenzhen.
Jeremy is passionate about ongoing learning and development. In 2019, Jeremy completed his Executive MBA Degree under a joint programme offered by Columbia University Business School, London Business School and Hong Kong University Business School. In 2024, Jeremy graduated with a masters-degree level Diploma in Non-Executive Directorships offered by the Financial Times. Jeremy is also passionate about the development of young people and currently serves as a Mentor under the Hong Kong University Business School Mentor Programme.
Amongst other roles, Jeremy was formally Chair of the British Chamber of Commerce Guangdong, is an appointed advisor on the New Zealand Trade & Enterprise “Beachheads Programme, served as a “Foreign Investment Advisor” to the Guangzhou City Government and is an active member of the Leeds University Alumni in Guangzhou. Jeremy is a regular speaker at business and community events.
In 2011, Jeremy was awarded an OBE by Queen Elizabeth II in recognition to his services on behalf of British businesses and legal services in China.