James Zimmerman ’87 (JD) Named Chairman of AmCham China for Fifth Term
University of San Diego (USD) School of Law commends James Zimmerman ’87 (JD), who has been named chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China (AmCham China), a member-driven, nonprofit that represents more than 4,000 members from over 900 companies. Its mission is to help American businesses succeed in mainland China through business support services, networking opportunities, and industry insights.
Zimmerman previously served four terms as chairman of AmCham China (2007, 2008, 2015, 2016) and two as vice chair (2005, 2006), helping guide the organization through periods of significant change in the commercial relationship between the United States and China. Upon his reappointment, he will lead its policy and advocacy efforts and expand engagement with policymakers on both sides.
Reflecting on his return, Zimmerman emphasized the importance of leadership: “Given how dramatically the environment for American companies in China has changed over the past decade, I felt it was important to step back in and help the Chamber navigate this more complicated period,” he said. “In the context of the three decades I have lived in China, I truly believe that 2026 is a year where our respective leaders can be visionary.”
A Beijing-based partner at Loeb & Loeb LLP, Zimmerman advises foreign companies on corporate, transactional, and white-collar defense matters. He has extensive experience assisting individuals detained and prosecuted under China's broad and ambiguous national security and state secrecy laws and regulations, including several high-profile and politically sensitive cases.
Drawing on his work experience, Zimmerman’s commentary and insights on the legal, business, and geopolitical developments in China have appeared in several prominent international publications, such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and Financial Times.
Outside of his professional work, Zimmerman remains engaged with USD Law as a guest lecturer for the school’s International Trade and Investment course. He is widely known for the "China Law Deskbook," a key legal guide for foreign-invested enterprises.
He also authored the acclaimed non-fiction book "The Peking Express: The Bandits Who Stole a Train, Stunned the West, and Broke the Republic of China" (2023), the incredible and long-forgotten story of a hostage crisis that shocked China and the West. It vividly captures the events that made international headlines and later inspired Josef von Sternberg's 1932 masterpiece film "Shanghai Express."
Read about his introductory interview here.
About the School of Law
Each year, USD Law educates approximately 800 Juris Doctor and graduate law students from throughout the United States and around the world. The law school is best known for its offerings in the areas of business and corporate law, constitutional law, intellectual property, international and comparative law, public interest law and taxation.
USD School of Law is one of the 88 law schools elected to the Order of the Coif, a national honor society for law school graduates. The law school’s faculty is a strong group of outstanding scholars and teachers with national and international reputations and currently ranks 34th nationally among U.S. law faculties in scholarly impact and 35th nationally in past-year faculty downloads on the Social Sciences Research Network (SSRN). The school is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. Founded in 1954, the law school is part of the University of San Diego, a private, independent, Roman Catholic university chartered in 1949.