Yonit Manor Percival
Postgraduate Research Student
Thesis title:
Chinese outward direct investment (ODI) – An interdisciplinary analysis of the operation of the ODI paradigm emerging from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) within the framework of international Economic Law.
Supervisors:
Professor Loukas Mistelis and Dr Norah Gallagher,
Biography
Yonit Manor-Percival is an international trade and investment lawyer with geographical specialisation in the PRC. Having graduated in modern Mandarin from Westminster University, London, she was awarded the British Council Scholarship (now known as the British Chevening Scholarship) to undertake postgraduate study in economics at Beijing University. She also has a degree in political science from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, a Diploma in Law from City University and an LLM from the School of Oriental and African Studies. She worked as a lawyer in private practice in London and Shanghai for over two decades, in the main, advising Chinese corporations in relation to their international trade and investment operations. She is currently a consultant to the leading City law firm of Reed Smith LLP. Yonit lectured widely on the Chinese legal and political economy system and on international investment protection law to Chinese corporations. She is also an Arbitrator on the panel of the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC). She is one of the few 2009/2010 recipients of Queen Mary, School of Law Studentship enabling her to conduct her PhD research in the Centre for Commercial law Studies. Yonit is competent in Hebrew, Modern Mandarin and French.
Research
Yonit’s research will focus on the ODI paradigm emerging from the PRC as the People’s Republic transforms from a primarily capital-importing to an emerging capital-exporting country. The research will examine the main features of China’s ODI paradigm against its international investment protection commitments. It will aim to establish whether a dichotomy exists between the discourse coming from Beijing and international legal system adopted by Beijing but designed by the west to facilitate its own paradigm. China’s growing ODI activities are currently the focus of a growing international debate that ranges from criticism by international financial institutions (IFIs) to concerns expressed by NGOs as to the effect of Chinese ODI on local communities.
Publication
Co-Authored, Zhenguo Wu Xiaodong Hu and Yvonne Percival “Competition law and practices A Review of Major Jurisdictions” edited by Marjorie Holmes (2009) Cameron May, London 47-108.