Walter Hutchens joined the faculty of Whitworth University in 2007. He teaches Business Law and Principles of International Business in the School of Global Commerce and Management, as well as courses in the MBA program.

Professor Hutchens previously taught at the University of Maryland's Smith School of Business from 2002-2007. He was the school's first faculty member to be resident in China and served as the first Chief Representative for the school's China office where he assisted with the development of executive MBA programs in Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin. 


His research focuses on the development of the Chinese legal system, particularly how China's legal institutions and corporate and securities law affect the development of stock markets, venture capital and technological innovation in China.


A graduate of the J.D. and M.A. in East Asian Studies program of Washington University in St. Louis, he was admitted to the bar of the state of New York and practiced law in New York City and Beijing with the firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison before becoming an academic.


Prior to law school he worked in public relations, including a time with Apple Computer in Silicon Valley.


Originally from Alabama, he attended college at Samford University, a Christian liberal arts institution in Birmingham where he majored in history.


Professor Hutchens has published an article on shareholder litigation in China in the University of Pennsylvania Journal of International Economic Law. He has also written for the China Business Review, China Law and Practice and Xin Caijing (a leading Chinese financial magazine). He speaks frequently at academic conferences and has been quoted by CNN, Dow Jones and other media concerning legal developments in China. He has also appeared on CCTV-9 to discuss developments in China's stock markets.