Peter Corne Magnolia Silver Award

International law firm Dorsey & Whitney LLP announced today that Partner Peter Corne, head of the Firm’s Shanghai office, has received the Magnolia Silver Award from the municipal government of Shanghai for his contributions to the city’s development.

Mr. Corne was one of 50 foreigners and expatriates from 19 countries who received the award at a ceremony in Shanghai on September 6. The laureates work in a variety of industries including economy and trades, finance, shipping, education, tourism and communications, in addition to the legal profession. A total of only 1,059 foreigners and expatriates have received the Magnolia Silver Awards, named after Shanghai’s official flower, since they were inaugurated by the city government in 1989.

Mr. Corne, one of only a handful of foreign lawyers ever to receive the award, received it primarily in recognition of his work to develop the dispute resolution capabilities of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone - in the area of mediation for the Shanghai Commercial Mediation Centre (“SCMC”), and arbitration for the Shanghai International Arbitration Centre (“SHIAC”). As mediator he helped parties resolve the first mediation case between foreign companies in the Zone, and presided, as chief arbitrator, over the first foreign trade dispute held at the court of arbitration in the Zone. He also participated in the whole process of drafting and commenting on the cutting edge "Arbitration Rules of The China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone" and played a key role in bringing about the Strategic Cooperation arrangement between JAMS, the largest private provider of dispute resolution services in the world, and SCMC, which resulted in SCMC becoming a member of JAMS International.

A dual national of Australia and the United Kingdom and China green card holder, Mr. Corne has spent more than 25 years living and practicing in China. Mr. Corne specializes in the areas of Chinese corporate, commercial and regulatory practice and is recognized as a leading practitioner in the fields of mergers and acquisitions and corporate restructuring. In addition to serving as head of the Firm’s Shanghai office, Mr. Corne is also Co-Head of the Firm’s U.S.-China Practice Group and the Firm’s Clean Technology Practice Group. He is fluent in both Mandarin Chinese and Japanese and is qualified to practice in England & Wales, Hong Kong and Australia.

“Peter is a true pioneer and leader in the dispute resolution, anti-trust and clean energy and sustainability legal fields and communities in Shanghai and in China generally,” noted Dorsey & Whitney Managing Partner Ken Cutler. “He is also committed to helping develop the institutions and legal structures that make Shanghai a truly international hub, just as Dorsey lawyers around the globe are dedicated to enriching the communities in which they live and work. This recognition is much deserved.”

“I am deeply honored and humbled to receive this recognition from the City of Shanghai,” added Mr. Corne. “Shanghai is my home, and my contributions to its development could not begin to repay the ways this city has enriched my professional and personal life over these many years.”