Our China practice
China is in transition. The momentum for regulatory change, which opened China’s doors to foreign investment in 1979, has accelerated and continues to shift, driving dramatic growth and opening exciting business and investment opportunities as well as formidable challenges for both home grown companies and overseas investors.
We have offices in each of China’s key commercial hubs: Beijing, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. Our China practice group was established in 2001 and we have lawyers with more than 20 years’ experience of doing business there.
Building on our experience and understanding of the Chinese legal and business landscape, we offer an integrated practice, working in partnership with our clients to provide effective solutions for their transactions within China and beyond it. Today, much of our business involves advising Chinese enterprises on accessing overseas markets and pursuing investment opportunities throughout the world. Our expanding global reach enables us to navigate a myriad of different regulatory regimes to manage cross-border transactions as well as sharing with our clients our experience of doing business in China and our insights into its regulatory landscape.
Our teams in Beijing and Shanghai comprise approximately 40 lawyers who are qualified in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the UK, Hong Kong, France, Australia and other jurisdictions. They work together with lawyers in our Hong Kong office specialising in China-related transactions. Most of our lawyers speak fluent Mandarin and some speak other regional Chinese dialects.
Our expert practitioners based in China and Hong Kong are supported by colleagues in our offices across the Asia Pacific and four other continents.
In June 2011, we expanded our global network into Canada and South Africa, both increasingly influential economies for our clients, particularly in the energy, infrastructure, mining and commodities, technology and innovation, pharmaceutical and life sciences and financial institutions sectors. We see considerable increase in the business flows between Asia, Australia, Europe, Canada, Africa and elsewhere. From January 2012 we also have presence in Latin America and Central Asia, positioning us to support clients in further cross-border activities.
It is easy in China to create more issues rather than narrow them. We make a virtue of being committed, practical, tolerant and willing to consider compromise. We are perfectly placed to give our clients the commercial, pragmatic and innovative service which they require.