Alex Roberts

Alex Roberts

Partner, Head of China TMT, Co-Head of Games and Interactive Entertainment, Shanghai

“I advise clients on tech and digital laws across heavily-regulated sectors in China and other emerging markets in Asia. Through working closely with corporates, financial institutions and funds on their China-related matters across 3 decades, I have become extremely familiar with the domestic legal regime in a dynamic global context. My extensive experience in the wider Asia region and London puts me in a strong position to truly understand clients’ needs and to ultimately provide excellent legal service on both complex transactions and other strategic advisory projects.”

Overview

Professional experience

Education and qualifications

Overview

Alex is the head of Linklaters China TMT/IP team based in Shanghai. He is consistently recognised in Legal Directories as a leading international lawyer in China. He has extensive experience in advising clients on doing business in China and cross-border transactions with a China element.

Alex’s practice covers corporate M&A and strategic alliances and regulatory advisory matters in China, advising on cybersecurity, data privacy and data management concerns, tech and IP licensing, and other complex regulatory inquiries.

He also advises clients on the legal, regulatory, and policy impact of emerging tech and disruptive technology, as well as the increasing convergence between technology, data and ESG.

His clients include multi-national corporations and Chinese companies in a broad range of sectors, including software, AI/ML, consumer products, financial services, and life sciences.

Work highlights

Representative legal matters include advising: 

  • 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
  • Hony Capital on the c.£900m acquisition of Gondola Investments Limited, PizzaExpress (Franchises) Limited and PizzaExpress Greater China Limited, the companies which own and/or operate Pizza Express restaurants in the UK, Hong Kong, mainland China and 11 other jurisdictions.
  • Various multinational banks and corporates on review of their customer-and vendor-facing privacy policies and transfer agreements, including preparing comprehensive data localisation and transfer guides to assist with implementation of China's Personal Information Protection Law, Data Security Law, and industry-level rules.
  • ELEX, the Chinese-headquartered games developer, on GDPR data compliance matters in the EU, including user interface privacy-by-design review, online marketing (including the use of new technologies, privacy policies and child age issues.
  • one of Asia’s largest payment platforms on review under China's generative AI rules of its terms of service for a new AI tool, together with app walk-through advice.
  • a global provider of cancer and cardiac care services on internet content licensing and data protection considerations for 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 tech venture capital investment funds and a world-wide provider of working capital finance on the PRC regulatory and data protection aspects of their expansion into the mainland Chinese market (including, in the case of the latter, 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 multinational insurance company on cybersecurity and data privacy matters, including delivering a cybersecurity training as part of a recent staff awareness programme, providing our insight on data privacy regulatory regimes, digital platforms and cyber security through a legal and regulatory perspective. 
  • Jardine Matheson: advising on the transfer to Zhongsheng of trademarks relating to Zung Fu’s Mercedes-Benz auto dealership business in China.

Professional experience

Alex is a member of the Data Working Group of the Asia Securities Industry & Financial Markets Association. He regularly presents at ASIFMA, IAPP and other industry association and events on Asia data, cyber and technology issues. 

Alex was elected to the Executive Committee of the British Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai in 2020 and has served as the ExCo Representative or 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.

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. Alex has also completed an executive MBA at China Europe International Business School in Shanghai, a course currently ranked 2nd in the Financial Times Rankings.