Work experience

About myself
As a lawyer, I help your business with IP, IT & Privacy Law advice, challenges and trainings, from contracts to proceedings. For understandable and practical legal advice, please contact me.
With 12 years of legal experience as a lawyer, in-house counsel and compliance officer, I act as a linking pin between Legal, IT and the business, and I make sure that my legal advice and assistance is tailor-made to your business.
Experience
Chao Legal

Owner and Lawyer
Jan 2019 - present
Privacy Law Services: Helping you becoming compliant with the GDPR
Within the field of Privacy Law, I help businesses to be prepared for and become compliant with Privacy laws and regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The GDPR compliance services that I offer include:
- Advising about Privacy / Data Protection questions;
- Performing Privacy risk assessments and GDPR gap analysis;
- GDPR implementation projects;
- Reviewing/drafting of Privacy policies and agreements;
- Interactive, tailor-made Privacy trainings for relevant stakeholders within your company.
IP Law Services: Protecting your work in an optimal way
With my extensive experience in Intellectual Property (IP) Law, I assist various artists, creatives and companies with the protection of their work, brands, and products, and with the enforcement of their IP rights, such as trademarks and copyrights.
IT Law Services: Protecting your business interest in your IT contracts
Within the field of IT law, including eCommerce and New Technology, I serve Retail, eCommerce and innovative technology companies (from start-up level to multinationals) with their IT-contracts in several ways:
- Advising about IT law and eCommerce Law aspects;
- Drafting and negotiating IT contracts, such as license agreements (e.g. SaaS), terms and conditions, service level agreements (SLA);
- Legal proceedings and settlement negotiations in IT disputes.
Speaking: Informing and inspiring with interactive legal workshops and trainings
You can stay informed and inspired about the new legal challenges of digital technologies, with my interactive presentations, workshops and trainings about Digital Law topics and developments that are most relevant for your business.
HVG Law

Lawyer
apr 2016 - dec 2018
Privacy Law
Intellectual Property Law
IT Law
Metro Cash & Carry Nederland B.V. / Makro Cash & Carry Belgium N.V.

Compliance Officer Makro/Metro BE-NL and Legal counsel
2015 - 2016
After I successfully fulfilled my interim role as Head of Legal & Compliance, I was asked to fulfil the role of Compliance Officer for both Makro/Metro in the Netherlands and Belgium, besides my existing role as Legal Counsel in the Netherlands. The responsibilities included:
- Roll-out of Compliance policies of METRO Group in the Netherlands and Belgium
- Give face-to-face trainings about Anti-Corruption, Antitrust and Business Principles
- Lead in Compliance Incident Handling Committee
- Compliance reporting to the Boards of Makro/Metro and Group Compliance in Germany
- Provide legal advice to all departments within Makro (The Netherlands)
Metro Cash & Carry Nederland B.V.

Head of Legal & Compliance ad interim
2015
After the departure of the Head of Legal & Compliance, I was asked to fulfil the role of Head of Legal & Compliance and lead a team of three people for several months. I fulfilled the following roles in an interim basis:
- Compliance Officer
- Data Protection Officer
- Corporate Secretary
- Head of Legal of Metro Cash & Carry International Holding B.V. and other Dutch affiliated companies
Metro Cash & Carry Nederland B.V.

Legal Counsel (full-time)
2013 - 2015
I was approached for a role as an in-house Legal Counsel at Metro Cash & Carry Nederland (part of the METRO Group), where I had the opportunity to learn about retail/wholesale processes, think commercially and speak the language of the business.
I was responsible for:
- Implementation of METRO Group guidelines
- Providing in-house Compliance trainings
- General day-to-day legal advice to all internal departments of Makro Nederland
- Commercial contracting with suppliers and vendors
- Litigation management
- Set-up of standard procedures and legal templates
- Corporate housekeeping for Metro Cash & Carry International Holding B.V.
Levenbach Advocaten, Amsterdam

Lawyer
2010 - 2013
After completing my 3-year Lawyer traineeship, I expanded the scope of my legal work and start building my own law practice at Levenbach Advocaten in Amsterdam, where I practiced the following law areas:
- Intellectual Property Law (trademarks and designs)
- Insolvency Law (appointed as receiver in bankruptcies by the District Court Amsterdam)
- Commercial contracts
Greenberg Traurig LL.P, Amsterdam

Lawyer
2007 - 2010
Following my Law studies, I started my 3-year Lawyer traineeship at Greenberg Traurig in Amsterdam, where I specialized in the following law areas:
- Intellectual Property Law
- Commercial contracts (franchise, distribution)
- EU Competition Law (vertical and horizontal restraints)
- IP/IT due diligence in M&A projects
Greenberg Traurig LL.P, Amsterdam

Paralegal
2006 - 2007
During my Law studies, I worked as a a paralegal in the Intellectual Property Law department of the renowned American law firm Greenberg Traurig in Amsterdam.
Instituut voor Bouwrecht, The Hague

Legal assistant
2005 - 2006
During my Law studies, I was a law assistant at the Institute of Construction Law in The Hague.
Education
Attorney-at-law vocational training, Dutch Bar Association
Certificate
2008 – 2009
In order to become a certified lawyer, I was sworn in conditionally at the District Court in Amsterdam and followed an intensive 9-months vocational training of the Dutch Bar Association for Lawyer Trainees, with in-depth theoretical courses and practical skill courses. After successfully passing the vocational exams and completing my 3-year Lawyer Traineeship, my court registration as attorney-at-law was unconditional.
Master (LL.M) Information Law – University of Amsterdam
Diploma
2006 – 2007
I successfully completed my Master Law degree Information Law at the University of Amsterdam, which is one of the oldest and most renowned Information Law Institutes in the Netherlands. The topics included amongst others: Intellectual Property Law, Information Law, Telecommunications Law, Arts & Law, and Advertising Law.
Bachelor (LL.B) Dutch Law – University of Leiden
Diploma
2003 – 2006
I obtained my Bachelor Law degree at the University of Leiden, which is one of the most
prestigious universities in the Netherlands and abroad. The Bachelor Law degree lasts three years and consists of a broad spectrum of Law subjects, including but not limited to: Civil Law, Civil Procedural Law, Administrative Law, Criminal Law, Roman Law, Law & Philosophy, Copyright Law, and Trademark Law.
Experience
Professional Skills
Areas of Expertise
References
Ingmar Emmen
Managing Director at Makro Hampers & Gifts
Ichu has proven to be a very constructive coworker. In my role as commercial director, she has helped me numerous times on complicated legal matters with a commercial impact. In these matters Ichu is a very pro-active colleague with valued input. She clearly understands the importance of the business and all its stakeholders. As stated, Ichu does not stop at the analysis, but also continues and provides good feedback including possible solutions. Ichu has proven to be a highly valued colleague and I can seriously say a colleague with a strong commercial heart.
Yu Lian de Bakker
VP Legal Affairs / General Counsel PVH Europe (Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein)
Ichu has a very pro-active service driven attitude and is a smart lawyer who easily understands the needs of the business and other stakeholders, which enables her to find legally sound and practical solutions. She has proven to be knowledgeable on various areas of law and is keen to learn. It has been a great pleasure working with her over the last two years during which she has become a highly valued member of the Legal & Compliance department.
Hans Urlus
Member Dutch Bar, principal shareholder Greenberg Traurig, LLP
I Chu proved to be be an intelligent and very reliable colleague, liked and trusted by clients. She has a solid knowledge of IP law and a keen understanding of competition law and had great drafting skills.
Jetske (Jetty) Van Santen, CIPPE
I enjoyed working with Ichu. Always pleasant to be with and very intelligent. Ichu is highly motivated, and a well spoken professional, as is her ability to combine practical and commercial insight with excellent legal expertise. Ichu impressed me in her time as head of legal a.i. with her people management and training skills. She has thorough knowledge of (international) commercial and corporate contracting and also enjoys sharing her knowledge with others.