TORONTO — Family physician Dr. William Han of United Health Centres is at the centre of a $10,000 sponsorship dispute tied to the July 8 Dream of Jiangnan concert. Organizers say he sought to withdraw from the event’s top sponsorship role just one day before the event, after weeks of promotion.
The Sponsorship
At the beginning of June, organizers of Dream of Jiangnan began searching for a principal sponsor for the concert. Their search eventually brought them to Dr. William Han, who was introduced through an intermediary involved in coordinating the arrangement.
According to the intermediary, Han saw the concert as an opportunity to introduce United Health Centres and the International Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine to a wider Toronto audience. After discussions with the organizers, he agreed to a $10,000 naming sponsorship that would place the two brands in the event’s most prominent promotional positions.
By June 15, the arrangement had already moved into production. Branding information had been submitted, promotional materials were being prepared, and organizers say the designs were sent to Han for review. Once approved, the materials began circulating as part of the concert’s public campaign.
No Payment
The organizers say they delivered the promised promotional benefits. The $10,000 payment, however, never arrived.
Invoices were sent. Banking information was provided. Payment instructions were repeated through both email and WeChat. Yet as the July 8 concert drew closer, the promised $10,000 still had not arrived.
Han was sanctioned by the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta last year after admitting to unprofessional conduct. In a May 22, 2025 decision, a CPSA Hearing Tribunal found that Han had failed to follow the guidance of a prescribing mentor and breached restrictions on prescribing opioids, benzodiazepines, methadone and cannabinoids.（https://search.cpsa.ca/Complaints?fn=016501-000023103294-OT-1&utm_source=chatgpt.com）
The tribunal described the conduct as “serious unprofessional conduct” and said failing to comply with requirements imposed by the regulator undermined public trust in the medical profession. Han was suspended from practice for three months beginning July 1, 2025, ordered to complete an ethics and boundaries course at his own expense, and required to pay two-thirds of the investigation and hearing costs.
The tribunal also noted that none of Han’s admitted conduct involved drug-seeking or fraudulent behaviour.
The disciplinary case was unrelated to the current sponsorship dispute.
July 7 Withdrawal
Just one day before the concert, the situation took a sharp turn.
After weeks of negotiations and promotion, Han sought to withdraw from the sponsorship on July 7. According to the intermediary, Han said he was unable to travel to Toronto and cited financial difficulties at his clinics as the reason he could not make the $10,000 payment.
By that point, the sponsorship was no longer just an agreement on paper. Promotional materials had already been produced and circulated, Han’s brands had already received public exposure, and the concert itself was less than 24 hours away.
The dispute then centred on whether the sponsorship fee remained payable after the promotional benefits had already been delivered.
The organizers maintained that Han’s inability to attend the concert did not erase the sponsorship obligation. With showtime only hours away, what had started as a delayed payment had become a sponsorship dispute.
Concert Happens Anyway
On July 8, Dream of Jiangnan proceeded as scheduled. The organizers did not have the option of simply cancelling bills because the sponsorship payment had not arrived.
The event had been budgeted around the $10,000 sponsorship. Venue fees, production expenses, publicity and other obligations still had to be covered, leaving organizers to absorb the costs and keep the concert running.
Payment Discussions
Following the concert, a meeting with Han took place on July 24.
According to the intermediary, Han acknowledged that the promotional work had been completed and indicated that he was prepared to take responsibility for the outstanding payment.
The organizers were prepared to put the matter behind them, provided the $10,000 was settled by July 31.
July 31 came and went. No payment.
On Aug. 1, Han returned to the issue, according to the intermediary, saying he would consult his accountant and consider making a partial payment first.
Still, no money arrived.
Remains Unpaid
As of publication, the $10,000 remains unpaid.
The sponsorship was agreed to, the organizers say the promotion was delivered, and Han later indicated he was prepared to take responsibility for the payment. The dispute, however, remains unresolved.
Organizers have set Aug. 31 as the deadline for the outstanding $10,000 to be settled, while remaining open to a concrete installment arrangement if immediate payment is not possible.
If neither payment nor a workable written agreement is received by then, organizers say they are prepared to pursue further action to recover the outstanding amount.
No court has ruled on the sponsorship dispute or determined the legal obligations of either party.
Dr. Han and United Health Centres have been invited to respond to the matters raised in this article. Any response or relevant documentation they provide will be added to this report so their position can be represented.
