Partner

Philipp Senff

Representative | Head of Compliance, CMS Hasche Sigle Shanghai Representative Office (Germany)

Languages

German
English
Chinese (Mandarin)

Philipp Senff is recognised as a leading corporate, compliance and risk management expert with over 16 years’ of China-related work and business experience. He has extensive experience in advising multinational companies, international banks and entrepreneurs on corporate law, joint ventures and the restructuring of business operations. Philipp has established a reputable German-Chinese practice that focuses specifically on compliance and risk management in China, which includes compliance audits, risk assessments, internal investigations, whistle-blower management, corporate governance, strategies for robust supply and sales chains and the implementation of compliance management systems for the protection of the company and its management in China and abroad.

Philipp represents clients in a wide variety of industries, including automotive, manufacturing, chemicals, pharmaceutical, medical devices, real estate, transportation, F&B and retail.

Before joining the firm, Philipp worked for other international law firms in Shanghai and Frankfurt. Philipp was for several years the Head of the Shanghai office of a silver circle UK law firm.

Relevant experience

Advising a number of German automotive and manufacturing companies on compliance management systems and rapid alert tools for the prevention of compliance risks in China.
Exercising a number of compliance audits and internal audits for German automotive and manufacturing companies across China.
Supporting a German automotive company on its whistle-blower management and a number of fraud investigations in China.
Advising a European consumer goods company on an internal investigation in China and South-East Asia.
Advising a German sourcing and distribution group for luxury goods in relation to a dawn raid in China.
Advising a UK chemical company on its procurement compliance in relation to the construction of a factory in China.
Advising a Norwegian manufacturing company on product safety and environmental compliance requirements in China.
Advising European building materials companies on their sales compliance in China.
Advising a multinational oil and gas company on its sales compliance in China.
Advising a UK private equity fund on the mitigation of its compliance risks in China in conjunction with the acquisition of a manufacturing company of ship components.
Advising a multinational banking group on the mitigation of its compliance risks in China in conjunction with the acquisition of a global luxury goods retailer.
Advising a German manufacturing company on its crisis management in conjunction with the restructuring of its operations in China.

Publications

"Corona bringt deutsche Lieferketten in Gefahr“, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 4 February 2020
"Coronavirus wird zum Katalysator für bestehende Probleme“, WirtschaftsWoche, 27 February 2020
"Wo die Korruption bis heute lauert“, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 16 October 2019
Book "Governance, Risk and Compliance Management in China - Practical Guidance for Executives", published at Haufe Verlag, January 2018, 520 pages, Senff/Zhang (editors.)
Book "Compliance Management in China - Praxishandbuch für Manager", published at Haufe Verlag, June 2015, 304 pages, Stucken/Senff (editors)
Publications and interviews in relation to management and legal matters (Bloomberg, Börsenzeitung, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, German Chamber of Commerce in China, WirtschaftsWoche, etc)

Memberships & Roles

German-Chinese Lawyer’s Association
German Corporate Law Association
German Institute of Compliance

Education

Rechtsanwalt (Qualified German lawyer)
First and second state examination in law
Legal Training (Rechtsreferendariat) in Frankfurt and Shanghai

Practice Areas

Compliance & Forensic Services Mergers & Acquisitions Commercial Purchasing and Procurement Distribution and Franchising Production and Product Liability

Insights

Global Reach