Dr. Luo Kaitian has nearly two decades of experience in labor law and cross-border workforce governance. He is a proponent of the Cross-border Employment Compliance (CEC) concept and the founder and editor-in-chief of the CEC platform. He is currently a partner at Anli Partners and Head of Employment Law & ESG Practices. Previously, he spent many years at King & Wood (formerly King & Wood Mallesons) and established and led the China employment law practice within the KPMG Global Legal Services network.

As a key team member, Dr. Luo Kaitian has contributed extensively to major research projects undertaken by China’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Commerce, and All-China Federation of Trade Unions. Covering international labor standards, the resolution of overseas labor disputes, and labor provisions relevant to China’s accession to the CPTPP, these projects have informed national-level policy design. In 2023, Dr. Luo published Labor, Sovereignty and the Rule of Law: China’s Proposal for Labor Clauses in Free Trade Agreements (Peking University Press). The book advances his theory of coordinated application. While recognizing the positive value of relevant international standards, it argues that they should be applied in a coordinated way, guided by sustainable development, autonomous good governance, and international cooperation, to avoid the adverse effects of overly aggressive enforcement. His 2026 book, Cross-border Employment Compliance: Standards and Governance (China Legal Publishing House), systematically develops his Cross-border Employment Compliance (CEC) concept. It proposes a Three-Dimensional Integrated framework connecting domestic labor law, international labor law, and transnational labor law, guided by the principle of bidirectional compliance, to improve global labor governance. Both books are regarded as pioneering works in China on their respective subjects and as filling gaps in the literature. In 2026, Dr. Luo also founded the Cross-border Employment Compliance Alliance (CECA), an international network spanning approximately 50 jurisdictions, and became its president. Through the alliance, he continues to advance global collaboration.

For more than a decade, Dr. Luo Kaitian has advised leading companies across industries in China and around the world on global employment compliance, cross-border risk management, supply chain human rights due diligence and security, and ESG governance. He brings together international standards, global strategy, and practical implementation in local jurisdictions to develop comprehensive solutions. His experience spans nearly 100 major projects, involving workforces ranging from a handful of employees to more than 30,000.

Qualifications and Memberships:

• Secretary-General of the Cross-Border Investment and M&A Professional Committee of the Beijing Lawyers Association
• Member of the Social Law Studies Association of China Law Society, the Chinese Society of International Economic Law, the China Academy of Arbitration Law, and the Labor Sociology Committee of the Chinese Sociological Association
• Member of the Ministry of Education’s Virtual Teaching and Research Office for Law, specializing in Labor Law and Social Security Law
• Member of the Inter-Pacific Bar Association (IPBA) and the Beijing Lawyers Association’s Talent Pool for Foreign-Related Legal Services, specializing in foreign-related labor and employment, cross-border investment, and international economic cooperation
• Arbitrator of the Hainan International Arbitration Court, specializing in ESG matters
• External Peer Reviewer for Chinese Review of International Law, a CSSCI source journal
• Adjunct Mentor at the law schools of Peking University, the University of International Business and Economics, the China University of Labor Relations, and other leading universities

Education:

• 2022, Ph.D. in Social Law, China University of Political Science and Law
• 2019, LL.M., University of California, Berkeley
• 2014, LL.M., University of International Business and Economics
• 2009, LL.B., China University of Labor Relations

Awards:

• 2026, Legal 500, Recommended Labor & Employment Lawyer in China
• 2025, ALM, Annual Labor & Employment Lawyer of the Asian Region (*shortlisted)
• 2024, GRCD, Annual Outstanding Labor & Employment Lawyer in China
• 2023, GRCD, Annual Outstanding Labor & Employment Lawyer in China
• 2022, LexisNexis, 40 Under 40 in the Asia-Pacific Region (*listed)
• 2021, Legal 500, Recommended Labor & Employment Lawyer in China

Languages:Chinese (Mandarin and Szechuanese) (native),English (working proficiency)