The Journey of a Sino-Canadian Commercial Lawyer thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing”. Tell us a little about your journey into law. It has been quite a journey. Notwithstanding the 2016 April Fools debacle, let me tell you about happier times in the nineties and my journey as a university student arriving in Canada. I was born in Beijing to a mother who was a medical doctor specializing in pediatrics. As the oldest in a highly educated family, I was driven to excel in my studies. So, after earning a BA with a History major at Beijing University, I ended up leaving China with a scholarship to attend the University of Regina where I completed a master’s degree in Social Studies. employee turned out to be a con artist. Orchestrating a grand theft of $7,500,000 from GLC’s trust funds, he forged cheques and fled to China while his accomplice laundered the money through a government-controlled casino before squirreling cash and casino chips off to China. When the local police did not investigate the theft in a timely manner, I had no choice but to face the crisis headon and, in the months that followed, flew to China countless times to catch the thieves, all the while dealing with a financial wildfire burning at home. I could have declared bankruptcy. Instead, I chose to protect the livelihood of my clients, personally bearing huge financial losses by selling my real estate assets. I managed to cover the trust funds shortfall of all GLC’s clients so that not one person suffered any loss but myself. While mistakes may have been made in doing so, as famously stated by US President Teddy Roosevelt, “In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best Could you please introduce yourself to our readers? My name is Hong Guo. I am a member of the Law Society of Canada, Saskatchewan and British Columbia, and the founder of Guo Law Corporation (“GLC”) in Richmond, BC. During my career, I have had the good fortune to amass over two decades of experience in business law and, along with my team, provide a range of legal services, including corporate and commercial law, international transactions and investment, immigration law and real estate. But life is not without its ups and downs, and good fortune does not always last. This may be especially true in a business that grew very quickly, creating opportunities for human error and the risk that comes along with needing to place trust in people who may prove to be undeserving. On 2 April 2016, I discovered that GLC’s bookkeeper and my most trusted MY LEGAL LIFE - HONG GUO 32 WWW.LAWYER-MONTHLY.COM | APR 2022 Life is not without its ups and downs, and good fortune does not always last. This month we speak with Hong Guo, who has led a storied career spanning both China and Canada. Drawing on her wealth of experience in commercial transactions, M&A and investment, she talks with us about the practicalities of advising on Sino-Canadian investments and what motivates her to try to build a better society through her work.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy Mjk3Mzkz