Sarah (Xiaohua) Zhao has joined Rimon as an international transactions and data privacy partner in its Washington office. Zhao joins from Baker Hostetler, where she was a partner; she previously served as managing partner of the Beijing office of Holland & Knight.

Zhao has substantial experience in international transactions with an emphasis on technology transactions, data protection, privacy and cybersecurity from both regulatory and corporate perspectives. She advises major companies on cybersecurity, privacy and data protection legal environments in China and around the world, establishing data protection policies and compliance programs, conducting due diligence on data security for mergers and acquisitions, handling data breaches, and compliance matters.

“At a time when cybersecurity is of utmost importance, Sarah’s experience and knowledge of the tech industry, and specifically data protection, will be a key asset for our clients and the firm,” said Michael Moradzadeh, the firm’s CEO.

She has an extensive background in cross-border corporate transactions – including joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, project financing and corporate formation – and her arbitration and litigation skills have assisted Chinese clients in the United States, as well as U.S. companies in China. She has also advocated for enhanced business environments for foreign companies in China. During the course of her career, her efforts have resulted in several cumbersome Chinese internet and wireless rules being either amended or abolished.

Before her legal career, Zhao was an accomplished journalist. She has also worked at the current Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China (MIIT) which is equivalent to the FCC in the United States.