The 20th anniversary series of Dehehantong, "Dehe Talk", kicks off - Focusing on liquidated damages and Insights into New Trends in Arbitration Practice
In 2026, it marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of Dehehantong. As a major part of the 20th anniversary series of activities, "Dehe Talk" officially kicked off. On March 19, 2026, the first "Dehe Talk" event, jointly organized by the Shanghai Commercial Dispute Resolution Committee of Dehehantong and the Shanghai Young Lawyers Work Committee of Dehehantong, was successfully held. The event was presided over by Liu Zhaoyang, a partner of the Shanghai office of Dehe Hantong and co-director of the Shanghai Commercial Dispute Resolution Committee of Dehehantong, and Qian Jiawei, a senior partner of the Shanghai office of Dehehantong and chairperson of the Shanghai Young Lawyers Work Committee of Dehehantong.
This event takes "Focusing on Liquidated Damages, Insights into Arbitration Practice" as its core theme, delving deeply into the understanding, determination, and application of liquidated damages clauses in commercial arbitration. It aims to spark professional ideas and offer the Dehe team a knowledge feast that combines theoretical height, practical value, and diverse perspectives.
01 Opening Remarks
Lawyer Zhou Ruan, the managing partner of the Shanghai office of Dehehantong, delivered the opening speech. He wished the event a complete success and pointed out the historical significance and planning goals of the launch of "Dehe Talk" at the same time. Lawyer Ruan hopes that all colleagues of Dehe will delve deeply into their professional fields, be innovative, and forge ahead in collaboration. All offices across the country should further enhance coordination and interaction, safeguard rights and interests with professionalism, and contribute to the rule of law through practical actions.
"02 Lecture Sharing
1. Special topic sharing
Dr. Chi Junhui, senior partner and senior arbitrator of the Shanghai office of Dehehantong, delivered a practical sharing on "Liquidated Damages Clauses from the Perspective of Domestic Commercial Arbitration". From the dual perspectives of an arbitrator and an agent lawyer, he deeply analyzed the characteristics of arbitration and its differences from litigation. Combining practical experience, he sorted out the adjudication ideas and review key points of the liquidated damages clause, answered the core confusion in the determination of liquidated damages in arbitration, and provided practical guidance for lawyers.
2. Have a discussion and exchange
Lawyer Zhang Wencan, the director of the Taizhou office of Dehehantong, Lawyer Huang Ye, the Party branch secretary of the Chongqing office, and Lawyer Zhang Yong, the director of the Chengdu office, shared their insights and thoughts on the application of liquidated damages clauses based on judicial practices and arbitration practical experiences from various regions.
Lawyer Zhang Wencan pointed out the characteristics of arbitration in determining the loss of liquidated damages in commercial arbitration and put forward legal considerations on the balance between the compensatory and punitive nature of liquidated damages. Lawyer Huang Ye put forward specific suggestions on the core points of the signing stage and the logical presentation during the trial, reminding lawyers to play an explanatory role. Lawyer Zhang Yong pointed out the characteristics of judicial practice and arbitration institutions within the region and suggested that when handling arbitration cases, professional background should be taken into account and the suitability of procedure selection should be paid attention to.
3. Roundtable discussion
Lawyer Wang Yu, partner of the Shanghai office of Dehehantong and director of the Corporate Governance Business Committee of Dehehantong Shanghai, Lawyer Min Renrui, partner of Huiye Law Firm, and Lawyer Wang Yiping, partner of the Shanghai Office of Dehehantong and director of the Financial and Securities Dispute Business Committee of Dehehantong Shanghai, held a roundtable discussion on the three core and difficult issues in the practice of liquidated damages. From different dimensions such as domestic practical cases, cross-border disputes, and financial securities, it brought multi-angle and in-depth professional interpretations to the colleagues present.
Lawyer Wang Yu, in light of handling commercial contract dispute cases, explored the disputes over the claim of liquidated damages and losses, and sorted out the judicial thinking in different situations. Lawyer Min Renrui, taking a cross-border commercial dispute case in the United States as an introduction, analyzed the standards for determining liquidated damages in combination with international arbitration rules. Lawyer Wang Yiping focuses on the financial field and analyzes the logic for determining liquidated damages in financial contracts.
03 Activity Summary
Lawyer Guo Xianhao, the managing partner of the Shanghai office of Dehehantong, made a professional review and summary. He systematically distilled the core points, practical strategies and differences in judgment standards of liquidated damages arbitration practice, forming professional guidelines that are both theoretical and practical. Lawyer Guo sent a message to all colleagues, encouraging them to improve their professional skills, integrate knowledge with action, and respond to market demands with more precise professional services.
Twenty years of dedication to law, with an unwavering original aspiration. Twenty years of professional companionship, never stopping our steps. The successful holding of this "Dehe Talk" has helped Dehe colleagues sort out the core points, practical skills and regional differences of liquidated damages practice from the perspective of arbitration, and has also built a professional communication bridge within the firm and between industries. Taking its 20th anniversary as a brand-new starting point, Dehehantong continues to build high-quality professional exchange platforms such as Dehe Talk, and conducts multi-field, multi-theme, and high-standard professional discussion activities around industry regulations, practical difficulties, and cutting-edge fields.
"Dehe Talk" is an important part of the series of activities marking the 20th anniversary of Dehehantong. It mainly takes the form of discussions and sharing among lawyers from Dehehantong's multiple offices, senior experts in the field, and industry guests, focusing on in-depth exchanges on cutting-edge theories and practical issues. This event is the first session of "Dehe Talk". More professional knowledge sharing will be brought in the future.
In the future, Dehehantong will continue to uphold the philosophy of "diligence, craftsmanship, and excellence", further enhance the coordinated development of its national offices, and constantly deepen its professional capabilities. It will provide more professional, efficient, and comprehensive legal services to safeguard its clients and contribute Dehe's strength to the high-quality development of macro rule of law construction and the commercial arbitration industry.
