Chicago's Bright Lights Shine on BU Law Alumni Safeguarding ...

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At Home in Two Cultures After a six-year stint at the United Nations in the 1980’s and a degree from Shanghai International Studies University, Howard Zhang knew he wanted to attend law school in the United States. Beyond that, the details of his plan were a little fuzzy. Unfamiliar with law schools in the U.S., Zhang happened upon a brochure for Boston University School of Law, researched the School and decided it would be a good place to explore his interest in American law. “At the time, I didn’t know much about law schools in the States. I thought I wanted to go to Harvard,” said Zhang, the son of two peasants in China’s Henan province. “I went to a law school fair, picked up a brochure for BU, applied and was admitted.” The decision has worked out well for Zhang, and for BU Law. Now the head of the Beijing office of O’Melveny and Myers LLC, Zhang was recognized in 2004 as an AsiaLaw leading lawyer in corporate finance and in 2005 as a leading lawyer in private equity/venture capital, mergers and acquisitions and capital markets. A recipient of the American Jurisprudence Award, Zhang recently bestowed a $100,000 faculty research grant upon his alma mater, a decision that doesn’t surprise those around him. “As a person, he’s an incredibly warm guy,” said Scott Silverman, a 36-year-old senior associate who works in the Beijing office with Zhang. “He’s very easygoing with an even keel and a great sense of humor.” When Zhang came to BU Law in 1990, he brought not only his disposition, but also his interest in other cultures after growing up under a repressive Chinese government. Zhang was one of the first members of his province to attend university in China after the Cultural Revolution. Zhang said once he began at BU Law — after spending a year at the City University of New York studying political science — it didn’t take long for him to realize business law was his calling. “I didn’t know anything about the study of law in the United States or about legal practice,” he said. “I had no clue at all. After my second year, I quickly realized that given my background and language skills, I wouldn’t be able to do litigation. That left business law.” “He has excellent cross-cultural skills,” said Silverman ,who has seen the calm that Zhang exhibits during intense situations. Silverman attributes Zhang’s skills to his pre-law school experience at the United Nations. There he learned how to communicate effectively in any situation and transition through cultural boundaries. “It’s amazing how he can switch between a 22 | The Record | Fall 2007
Conducting Western Business in the East Assistant Dean John Riccardi, Dean Maureen O’Rourke, Howard Zhang and Professor Jack M. Beermann group of Americans and a group of Chinese,” Silverman said. After graduating from BU Law in 1993, Zhang and his wife, Jane, whom he met in an English class in China, stayed in Boston where Zhang worked at Testa, Hurwitz and Thibeault LLC. While in America, the couple had two daughters, Ashley, now in her first year at Georgetown University Law School, and Emily, 12. Emily lives in Beijing with Zhang and his wife but Zhang says that he has taken steps to ensure his youngest daughter receives an education similar to her older sister’s experience in America. “Emily goes to an American school because we want to make sure our kids grow up in a similar environment,” said Zhang. “So it’s not a situation where the eldest is American and the youngest is Chinese.” While Zhang’s ties to the U.S. have remained steadfast, he admits his connection to the School had loosened in the decade after he returned to his native China. “A few years ago, I saw a list of missing law school alumni, and I was on it,” he said. “I felt bad. I always felt I should do something for the law school.” After reconnecting with BU Law, Zhang chose to support the School with a faculty research grant. BU Law Professor Jack Beermann said Zhang’s grant will be instrumental in helping current faculty and in attracting other renowned teachers and lawyers to the University. “Research is a very important mission of the law school,” said Beermann. “Every professor at the School is expected to provide research at a higher level. There’s a certain amount of prestige that comes with having a fund like this.” For Zhang, the donation is more than just giving back to his University — it’s also his way of honoring a mysterious American benefactor who paid for his education at B.U. To this day, Zhang declines to name the benefactor. “After I got my first job, I tried to repay her, but she wouldn’t take it,” said Zhang. In addition to the faculty research grant, Zhang has a longstanding offer to assist his extended family in their educational endeavors. It is known that if any of his nieces or nephews attends college, Zhang will support them financially. “Education has done a lot for me. To the extent that I can help someone, I will.” As president of General Motors Southeast Asia Operations and president of General Motors Thailand, Bill Botwick (‘71) oversees operations of the world’s largest auto manufacturer throughout the Southeast Asia region, which includes Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, Pakistan, Cambodia, Laos, Brunei, Myanmar and South Pacific Islands. His responsibilities within one of GM’s highest worldwide growth regions include overseeing GM’s manufacturing and sales operations in Thailand and Indonesia, as well as supervising the distribution of sales subsidiaries in the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia and other markets. GM’s $1 billion manufacturing facility in Thailand produces medium pickups for Thailand and global markets, along with small passenger cars for Southeast Asian markets. A smaller plant in Indonesia has produced passenger cars and utility vehicles for the local market. In Southeast Asia, GM’s Chevrolet brand has been the fastestgrowing in the automotive industry since 2000 with sales growing over 600%. Botwick has worked for General Motors for 35 years, including 19 years on the General Motors Legal Staff, where he was assistant general counsel for International Law from 1984-90. Since 1990, Bill has lived and worked in Asia where he started GM operations in Taiwan and Indonesia before moving to his current position in Bangkok in 1999. “There’s no doubt that my BU Law education contributed immensely to both my career in law and in business. At the law school I learned how to think-how to identify issues and develop well thought out and creative solutions. This obviously was a skill that I used in my legal career, but it is also something I use virtually every day in my Asian ‘business career’. The law school also helped me refine and develop my communications ability. This has been particularly important in Asia where I am often dealing in cross cultural contexts where good communications are key to developing strong relationships, which in turn are critical for business success.” Fall 2007 | The Record | 23
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Chicago's Bright Lights Shine on BU Law Alumni Safeguarding ...

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