Written by Stella Tsai

About John C. Yang

John C. Yang is the Director of Legal Affairs in China for Illinois Tool Works Inc. (ITW), a Fortune 200 company.  Based in Shanghai, John oversees and manages all corporate legal issues related to ITW’s presence in China, including mergers/acquisitions, business expansions and consolidations, transactions, commercial contracts, corporate governance, labor/employment, litigation, dispute resolution, and investigations.  John is also an adjunct professor at East China University of Political Science & Law, where he teaches graduate law students on American Legal Writing & Analysis.

Until he relocated to Shanghai in 2008, John was a partner with the Washington, D.C.-based law firm of Wiley Rein LLP.  While at Wiley Rein, John represented clients in over 75 published opinions, including decisions from high courts in 18 states.  From 2005 to 2009, John was named annually as one of “America’s Leading Business Lawyers” by Chambers USA.  He was also recognized as a Washington, D.C. “Super Lawyer” by Law & Politics from 2008 to 2010. In 2002, John was named on the inaugural list of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association’s “Best Lawyers Under 40.”

John is very active in the legal and civic community.  Within the Asian American community, John has held leadership positions in numerous Asian American organizations.  He was the 2003-2004 President of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), and continues to serve as Co-Chair of NAPABA’s Judiciary Committee.  From 2005 to 2008, John was the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Asian American Justice Center, the leading national Asian American civil and human rights organization.  John also has served as General Counsel for the Organization of Chinese Americans.  In the D.C. community, as the 1997-1998 President of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of the Greater Washington, D.C. Area, John was one of the co-founders of the Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center, the first-ever service focused on addressing the individual legal needs of Asian Pacific Americans in the D.C. area.