Alice Young brings over 40 years of business and legal experience in diverse industries, advising multinationals and entrepreneurs in a global economy. She possesses extensive knowledge of cross-cultural and international business and geopolitical relations, with a particular focus on Asia, and maintains strong relationships with decision-makers in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and Japan. Ms. Young has independent director experience at a NYSE-listed company and an international trust bank, along with management experience in both start-up and mature corporate operations across multiple geographies. She is recognized as a leader in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace and community, and has language and cultural fluency in Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, and French.
Ms. Young is the Founder and Principal of Alice Young Advisory LLC, established in 2015, providing Asia business strategy and consulting to companies, entrepreneurs and individuals doing business or investing in Asia. From 1994 to 2015, she served at Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP, a leading international law firm with more than 1000 lawyers in 15 offices worldwide. As Chair of the Asia Pacific Practice and Partner from 1994-2013, and Special Counsel from 2013-2015, she headed a practice team of lawyers based in the U.S. and Asia, serving as strategic advisor and lead counsel to corporate clients and entrepreneurs on their business activities throughout Asia. She counseled senior management and Boards of Directors on complex cross-border transactions and Asia legal and governmental strategies across various industries including banking, cosmetics, apparel, consumer products, manufacturing, technology, financial services, real estate, energy, telecommunications, and Internet.
Prior to Arnold & Porter, Ms. Young was a Partner and Head of the Japan Practice at Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP from 1987 to 1994, where she was responsible for significant growth in U.S. and global clients. From 1981 to 1987, she served as Founder and Resident Partner of the New York Office at Graham & James (now Squire Patton Boggs), becoming the first minority woman and youngest lawyer to head a New York law firm office in 1981. She successfully achieved break-even financially after two years and maintained profitability thereafter, while serving on the Firmwide Management Committee. She began her career at Coudert Brothers from 1974 to 1981, where she was a pioneer American lawyer in Asia, including Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, and China.
Ms. Young has extensive board experience on international corporate boards during transitions, acquisitions, and mergers. She served as a Member of the Board of Directors and Audit and Corporate Governance Committees at AXIS Capital Holdings Ltd. (NYSE: AXS) from 2013-2017. She also served on the Board of Directors and Executive and Examining Committees at Mizuho Trust & Banking Co. (USA) from 2000-2017, and was the first woman to serve on a Japanese bank New York subsidiary board at Yasuda Bank & Trust Company (USA) from 1988-1994.
Ms. Young currently serves as a Lifetime Trustee of the Aspen Institute and is a Trustee of the Asia Foundation. She is a Member of the Council on Foreign Relations and Committee of 100. She has received numerous awards including the Yale Medal in 2020, the Sandra Day O’Connor DirectWomen Distinguished Alumnae Award in 2017, and the Chambers Women in Law Outstanding Achievement Award in 2015.
Ms. Young earned her J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 1974, and her A.B., magna cum laude, with Graduation with Distinction and Honors in East Asian Studies from Yale College in 1971, as part of the first class of women graduates. She received a Bates Fellowship to Japan to study under Yasunari Kawabata, the first Japanese Nobel Prize Winner in Literature, in 1970.