Mini vandePol

Mini vandePol is the Head of Baker McKenzie's Asia Pacific Investigations, Compliance & Ethics Group, after successfully completing three years as the Global Chair. Mini focuses on anti-bribery and corruption, trade sanctions, fraud and other senior executive misconduct investigations across Asia but most particularly in Hong Kong, China and India. Mini has more than 30 years' experience and is the trusted advisor to the boards and audit committees of the Firm's most significant global clients — assisting them to establish and enhance their risk management programs, assess risks in transactional opportunities and credibly investigate transgressions to support a strong commitment to a culture of compliance.

In her previous Global Chair role, she led a team of 900+ compliance and investigations practitioners in Asia Pacific, EMEA, Latin America and North America, which was ranked amongst the Top 10 global investigations firms by Global Investigations Review in 2016, 2017 and 2018. Mini herself has recently been awarded "Woman Lawyer of the Year" in The Macallan ALB Hong Kong Law Awards and "Best in White Collar Crime" Euromoney Asia Women in Business Law Awards in 2019. She is also named as one of the "Top 100 Women in Investigations" by Global Investigations Review.

Mini is the Firm's representative assisting the World Economic Forum's Partnering Against Corruption Initiative (PACI) and a member of the WEF's Global Future Council.

• Providing investigation and litigation management and oversight advice in Bangladesh for a global telecommunications giant.
• Representing a US parent and Australian subsidiary in relation to civil proceedings relating to alleged bribery in India and subsequent US Department of Justice investigation.
• Conducting pre-acquisition compliance risk diligence and post-acquisition compliance integration for global F&B manufacturer / distributor expanding operations in Vietnam.
• Conducting an internal investigation in Hong Kong for a Fortune 500 consumer products manufacturer in respect of violations of its third party provider anticorruption policies by local management.
• Leading and managing a multinational, multiparty investigation for an ASX-200 infrastructure giant in respect of systemic violations and historic acts of corruption committed by its wholly owned subsidiary in Latin America.
• Acting in a large-scale global investigation by a major multinational into an allegation of systemic breaches of the FCPA by its employees in China and in South East Asia, including working closely with the US Department of Justice on behalf of our client to manage the scope and scale of the investigative process.
• Coordinating and managing a multijurisdictional team for an anticorruption investigation on behalf of a multinational FTSE 100 company into allegations made by an anonymous whistle-blower of alleged bribery amounting to hundreds of millions of RMB by a senior employee of the Shanghai business over a number of years.

• Leading Lawyer (Corporate Investigations/Anti-Corruption - International Firm, China/Hong Kong) - Chambers Greater China Region (2022)
• Leading Individual (Regulatory: Anti-corruption and Compliance, Hong Kong) – Legal 500 Asia Pacific (2019-2022)
• Awarded "Top 100 Women in Litigation" (White-collar crime, China and Hong Kong) –  Benchmark Asia Pacific (2020, 2021)
• Awarded "Best in White Collar Crime" Euromoney Asia Women in Business Law Awards 2019
• Awarded "Woman Lawyer of the Year" in The Macallan ALB Hong Kong Law Awards 2019 
• Awarded "Best in Compliance and Regulatory" Euromoney Asia Women in Business Law Awards 2018 (also shortlisted in 2017)
• Who’s Who Legal: Thought Leaders – Investigations – Global Investigations Review (2019, 2018)
• Named in the India Business Law Journal for India corporate compliance 2018
• Leading Lawyer (Corporate Investigations/Anti-Corruption (International Firm), China) –  Chambers Asia Pacific (2017-2021)
• Leading Lawyer (Corporate Investigations/Anti-Corruption (International Firm), China) –  Chambers Global (2017-2020)
• Shortlisted for the FT Innovation Awards 2018
• Featured in Global Investigations Review's 2015 "Top 100 Women in Investigations"

• Women's White Collar Defense Association (HK Chapter) - Vice President
• Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants - Member
• Monash University (Victoria, Australia) Global Leader's Network Advisory Committee Hong Kong - Chair

• Mini is the Firm's representative on the World Economic Forum's Partnering Against Corruption Initiative (PACI) and a member of WEF's Global Future Council. Mini was previously a member of the B20 (corporate arm of the G20) Anti-Corruption Task Force and chair of its International Conventions workstream, and the sole external legal panelist on corruption issues to the top echelons of the Chinese government at the 2016 People's Congress.

• Melbourne