On May 26, 2026, the well-known domestic legal media outlets Legal Guru Club and Legal Hall of Fame jointly released the 2026 _Legal Hall of Fame General Counsel Recommended Chinese Lawyers Rankings. Ms. Cathy Wu, Senior Partner of Watson & Band Law Office, leveraging her profound accumulation and outstanding performance in long-term services for the financial sector, was highly recommended by General Counsels (GCs) whom she has served for many years. She was successfully selected as a "2026 Clients' Choice Lawyer" , with her associated industry designated as the financial sector and her recommended field as intellectual property.

Background: Recommended by GCs, Rooted in Client Reputation  

The most distinctive feature of the Legal Hall of Fame General Counsel Recommended Chinese Lawyers List is that all listed lawyers are recommended by their real names by GCs of renowned enterprises, making "GC Recommendation" the baseline threshold for entering the evaluation system.
Following months of in-depth research, this year's list retained the core GC recommendation mechanism while significantly increasing the weight of the platform's independent research and cross-validation. It focused closely on clients' actual collaboration experience, project delivery capabilities, service awareness, communication quality, and long-term professional reputation.

Particularly noteworthy is that the 2026 list elevated the "human factor" to a core evaluation metric parallel with the "professional dimension" for the first time, firmly excluding any candidates whose communication skills or service awareness raised concerns. Attorney Cathy Wu's inclusion on the list is a direct testament to her clients' high recognition of her service awareness and communication quality alongside her professional expertise.

Twenty Years of Deep Cultivation: Deep Integration of Intellectual Property and Data Business
Attorney Wu graduated with an excellent academic record from the National University of Singapore. She joined Watson & Band in 2002 and currently serves as:

• Deputy Director of the Data Compliance and Cyber Security Committee of the Shanghai Bar Association.
  

• Off-campus Mentor at the Institute of Internet Rule of Law, East China University of Political Science and Law.
  

• Member of the INTA (International Trademark Association) Data Committee.
  

She holds both CIPP/E and CIPM certifications from the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP). Furthermore, she was named among the first batch of "Outstanding Figures in Shanghai's Intellectual Property Service Sector," and selected into both the Shanghai Foreign-related Lawyers Talent Pool and the Legal Expert Pool of the Shanghai Municipal Financial Regulatory Bureau. In 2024, she was honored as one of the inaugural "Top Ten Outstanding Lawyers of Xuhui District".

Attorney Wu’s practice focuses on intellectual property, data compliance, and finance, providing long-term legal services to clients across multiple industries including TMT, finance, and medical & healthcare. Recently, she has assisted authoritative institutions such as the Shanghai Data Exchange, the Shanghai Futures Exchange, and the Shanghai Insurance Exchange in constructing and optimizing their business rules and data compliance systems.

Deep Intersection of Finance and Data: A Brief Overview of Typical Practice  

In serving clients within the financial industry, Attorney  Wu places a strong emphasis on integrating intellectual property and data governance with financial operations. Facing the multi-faceted demands of financial institutions during their digital transformation—such as data compliance and intellectual property protection—she delivers solutions that combine professional depth with a sharp commercial perspective.

In recent years, Attorney Wu has spearheaded several specialized initiatives centered on financial data compliance:

She delivered a keynote presentation titled "Compliance Risks and Responses Throughout the Lifecycle of Personal Financial Information" for the Shanghai Over-the-Counter Commodity Derivatives Association (SOCDA), systematically outlining the key compliance points of financial information protection.

At the Financial Sub-forum of the Data and Personal Information Compliance Forum, she delivered a speech titled "Development, Utilization, and Compliance of Financial Data," analyzing financial data circulation, personal financial information protection, and the competitive risks faced by platform enterprises.

These practical contributions have provided robust professional support to financial regulatory authorities and industry institutions alike.

Coexistence of Professionalism and Warmth: A Long-term Partner Trusted by Clients  

"A truly exceptional lawyer is one who makes clients feel reassured and respected."
This is not only the core philosophy advocated by this year's list, but also a vivid reflection of Attorney Wu's professional practice style. With her solid professional grounding and unwavering commitment to service, she has earned the long-term trust of her clients. Her inclusion on the list through real-name recommendations from GCs she has long served is the ultimate endorsement of her professional value and service quality.

This honor is not only a personal accolade for Attorney Yueqin Wu, but also a full affirmation of Watson & Band’s professional strength at the cross-section of intellectual property and data within the financial industry. Moving forward, Attorney Wu and her team will continue to uphold the service philosophy of being "Professional, Pragmatic, and Worthy of Trust," providing even more robust legal support for financial industry clients in their intellectual property protection and data compliance governance during their digital transformations.