Evan Y. Chuck

Overview

Multinational companies with global supply chains and data-intensive businesses face an increasingly challenging regulatory landscape around the globe, particularly in Asia. Evan Chuck advises corporate leaders and boards of directors as they make strategic decisions, particularly in the context of dueling U.S. and China laws and regulations resulting from geo-political competition. Evan advises Fortune 50 companies on matters involving China’s Antiforeign Sanctions Law, PRC Export Control Law, Unreliable Entity List, and the PRC Cybersecurity Law that impact their operations in China. He also advises on the impact of such laws on supply chains that incorporate Chinese manufacturing or sourcing that could conflict with laws like the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) and other corporate policies related to environmental and social governance (ESG).

Evan has 30 years of corporate and international trade experience representing companies and private equity firms in their cross-border investments in key industries, such as aerospace, semiconductors, electric vehicle (EV) and automotive, “internet of things” (iOT), medical devices, home improvement products (particularly wood and flooring products), and electric power generation in high-stakes corporate transactions and investigations. As a strategic advisor to corporate executives, Evan helps with creating and executing risk mitigation strategies, particularly those that involve “de-risking” China business exposure. He helps companies establish “re-shoring” operations that move manufacturing or sourcing operations to the U.S. or countries, such as Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan, India, Japan, Korea, and Mexico.

Evan also represents IT hardware and app development companies that rely on cloud computing and cross-border data transmission, particularly between the U.S. and China in their cross-border investment and commercial transactions. Evan has a keen understanding of newly developing laws, regulations and practices in China that impact existing and new investments in China and throughout the Asia-Pacific region. He also works with multinational companies navigating the potential conflict with new U.S. laws, including the U.S. CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, which places conditions on receiving U.S. Federal financial support that can be dependent on development plans for new or expansion of existing operations in China.

Evan began his career as an international trade lawyer in Washington D.C., representing U.S.-based companies in major unfair trade disputes. He continues to advise U.S.-based companies with complex supply chains in the ongoing Section 301 trade dispute between the U.S. and China. On behalf of the U.S. lumber industry, Evan helped file a constitutional challenge to the bi-national dispute resolution mechanism of the U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement which ultimately led to a settlement between the two countries.

Evan leads the Asia practice for the firm. Prior to joining Crowell & Moring, he served as the chair of a global firm’s International Trade group for seven years and also served as the managing partner of that firm’s Shanghai office for seven years.

Evan has 30 years of corporate and international trade experience representing companies and private equity firms in their cross-border investments in key industries, such as aerospace, semiconductors, electric vehicle (EV) and automotive, “internet of things” (iOT), medical devices, home improvement products (particularly wood and flooring products), and electric power generation in high-stakes corporate transactions and investigations. As a strategic advisor to corporate executives, Evan helps with creating and executing risk mitigation strategies, particularly those that involve “de-risking” China business exposure. He helps companies establish “re-shoring” operations that move manufacturing or sourcing operations to the U.S. or countries, such as Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan, India, Japan, Korea, and Mexico.

Evan also represents IT hardware and app development companies that rely on cloud computing and cross-border data transmission, particularly between the U.S. and China in their cross-border investment and commercial transactions. Evan has a keen understanding of newly developing laws, regulations and practices in China that impact existing and new investments in China and throughout the Asia-Pacific region. He also works with multinational companies navigating the potential conflict with new U.S. laws, including the U.S. CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, which places conditions on receiving U.S. Federal financial support that can be dependent on development plans for new or expansion of existing operations in China.

Evan began his career as an international trade lawyer in Washington D.C., representing U.S.-based companies in major unfair trade disputes. He continues to advise U.S.-based companies with complex supply chains in the ongoing Section 301 trade dispute between the U.S. and China. On behalf of the U.S. lumber industry, Evan helped file a constitutional challenge to the bi-national dispute resolution mechanism of the U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement which ultimately led to a settlement between the two countries.

Evan leads the Asia practice for the firm. Prior to joining Crowell & Moring, he served as the chair of a global firm’s International Trade group for seven years and also served as the managing partner of that firm’s Shanghai office for seven years.

Career & Education

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Johns Hopkins University, B.A., with honors, 1989
The George Washington University Law School, J.D., 1993
- Johns Hopkins University, B.A., with honors, 1989
- The George Washington University Law School, J.D., 1993
California
Virginia (Inactive)
U.S. Court of International Trade
- California
- Virginia (Inactive)
- U.S. Court of International Trade
Professional Activities and Memberships

Member, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association

Member, Los Angeles County Bar Association – Conference of Delegates to the State Bar of California (2002-2004)

Member, Care for Children, U.S. Board of Trustees
Professional Activities and Memberships
- Member, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
- Member, Los Angeles County Bar Association – Conference of Delegates to the State Bar of California (2002-2004)
- Member, Care for Children, U.S. Board of Trustees
Cantonese
French
- Cantonese
- French

Evan's Insights

Speaking Engagement | 11.13.24

"We would like to thank Ahmad Mustafa for his contribution to this alert", ACI's 6th Conference on China Trade Controls

Client Alert | 9 min read | 11.06.24
Proposed Rule on Protecting Bulk Sensitive Data and Its Impact on Health Care
Client Alert | 14 min read | 11.01.24
Protectionist Trade Policies in the New Administration: A Question of Degree
Client Alert | 4 min read | 06.26.24
Preparing for the U.S. BIOSECURE Act

View All Insights

Representative Matters

Advise major U.S. and multinational importers and manufacturers, private equity funds investors, and other stakeholders in targeted industries on strategies to minimize corporate risk and/or de-couple supply chain exposure from the People’s Republic of China. Counsel clients affected by Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) entity list designations and detention of products by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Advise on the complexities and impact of conflicting Chinese laws, including the Antiforeign Sanctions Law, Unreliable Entity List designations, Personal Information Protection Law, Data Security Law, Blocking Statute and related regulations and practices on conducting credible cross-border audits and investigations. One of the first international lawyers to represent multinational clients sanctioned by the People’s Republic of China.
Represents U.S. companies impacted by Congressional investigations (including the U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party) targeting the People’s Republic of China.
Advise private equity funds on the impact of U.S. government policy and action, as well as the changing Chinese legal environment on investment strategy in existing and prospective portfolio companies.
Advised Kymco Capital and Kymco in their investment in the U.S. $1.8 billion SPAC merger and spinoff of Livewire, Harley Davidson’s electric motorcycle business.
Represented a publicly-traded, NYSE listed multinational company in the competitive bid of Chinese assets in connection with the $230 million global disposition of its performance and lifestyle footwear business.
Represent multinational companies in developing “China plus rest of world” strategies focusing on the impact of increasing Chinese and U.S. regulation of technology that impact both manufacturing-intensive supply chains as well as businesses that rely on China and Asia as technology development centers for other parts of their worldwide business.
Represented a NASDAQ listed multinational company in an investigation of possible fraud, corruption and violations of foreign exchange and sanctions laws in China as part of a global investigation in the U.S., Europe, Middle East and Asia.
Represents the private equity owner in the re-launch of its iconic toy store brand in China, with flagship stores planned in Beijing and Shanghai, as well as 30 smaller stores and shops in 200 department stores across China.
Advised a consortium of Chinese companies acquiring a stake in the iconic TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California.
Represented an American chain of luxury department stores in its investment into a Hong Kong company with a discount "flash" e-commerce website in China for the purpose of developing luxury e-commerce and retail business in the People's Republic of China.
Advised an international cosmetics company on PRC regulatory requirements, particularly with respect to China's food and drug regulations, product labeling rules, and China Customs regulations impacting duty-free sales in designated airports.
Represented a global pet accessory store in the restructuring of its Chinese and Hong Kong operations in connection with the sale of the interests of its primary private equity shareholder to a private equity firm.
Handled the disposition of Chinese assets for an American worldwide manufacturing company in a recent multijurisdictional sale of its mining business to another American manufacturing company for more than $1 billion dollars.
Advised a U.S. publicly traded pharmaceutical benefits management company in establishing operations in Singapore, Hong Kong, and China in order to participate in China’s $124 billion health care stimulus program.
Represented a manufacturer of GPS-enabled cell phones in its expansion and licensing of certain state-controlled technology as part of its entry into the domestic Chinese market.
Represented a Hong Kong-based private equity fund in an investment in a tripartite joint venture and parallel oﬀshore fund focusing on real estate and infrastructure investments in greater China.
Represented an Indonesian Chinese company as an investor in a Taiwanese-sponsored limited partnership focusing on infrastructure investments in greater China.
Represented a U.S. entertainment company in development of a flagship retail megastore in Shanghai.
Advises an Italian luxury goods manufacturer on streamlining its supply chain and labeling issues in China.
Advises a German footwear company on its anti-counterfeiting strategy in Asia.
Representing a multinational construction equipment manufacturer in the development and build-out of a new manufacturing facility near Shanghai.
Negotiated design and construction contracts on behalf of a collections-based educational and research institution with the design and construction of one of the largest Chinese classical gardens to be built outside of China.
Represented a major U.S. entertainment company on cross-border issues relating to its bid to develop and operate a billion dollar integrated resort in Southeast Asia.
Advised the management team in the buyout of a distributor of Indonesian tires by one of China’s largest tire manufacturers.
Designs and implements a cost-savings program for a U.S. industrial construction materials manufacturer involving the transfer of U.S. manufacturing operations to a maquiladora factory in Mexico.
Structured oﬀshore entities and operations of a U.S. semiconductor equipment manufacturer to take advantage of low cost labor and financial incentives in the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, People’s Republic of China, Taiwan, and South Korea.