Lawrence is a Chinese-Canadian attorney based in Vancouver. Lawrence was the founding Executive Director of the Chang Family Foundation. He serves Philanthropic Boards, including the Chan Better World Foundation, the Abba Foundation, the Canadian National Christian Foundation and the Stewardship Foundation. Lawrence serves as a Senior Fellow at the Murdock Charitable Trust.
In his Philanthropic and NGO/Government Relations work in China, Lawrence has consulted and provided assistance amongst others to the China Ministry of Civil Affairs, China Charities Federation, China Association for Friendly Contacts, China Non-Profit Network, China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation, Special Olympics China, Amity Foundation (Nanjing), World Vision China, Ford Foundation, and the Asia Foundation. Lawrence continues to be involved in NGO and government relations work in North Korea where he has visited more than two dozen times, including negotiating for Canada’s first official Sports team visit (Basketball, 1999), and first educational exchanges (Computer Graphics Design, 2002) and (ESL Programs, 2005).
Lawrence has a Masters of Law (LLM) in International Trade and International Comparative Law from the London School of Economics (LSE). He also has law degrees from Canada and the United States and is qualified to practice law in the provinces of British Columbia and Ontario. Lawrence previously taught International Human Rights and International Comparative Law at China’s Largest law school, the China University of Politics and Law.
Lawrence and his wife Angela, a family physician, opened one of the largest integrated medical clinics in Western Canada in 2009 and have been married since 1996.