The Legal 500

Global Law Office’s banking practice has a ‘strong reputation’, with ‘great experience on structured trade finance transactions’. Recent highlights include advising a group of lenders including Deutsche Bank and Société Générale on a $200m term loan facility to Big Profit Investments, and advising China CITIC Bank on its RMB850m syndicated loan to China National Machinery Industry for the acquisition of China YTO Group. Lawrence Lin and Zhang Xin are ‘very prompt and responsive’.

‘Right at the top of the market’, Jun He Law Offices is ‘widely respected’ for its banking and finance practice. In 2008, the team advised Bank of China on its RMB39bn joint project financing, with The Industrial & Commercial Bank of China, of Liao Ning Nuclear Power Plant. The practice also represented China Development Bank in its conversion from a PRC policy-oriented financial institution into a joint stock bank corporation with limited liability. Zheng Shujun and Xiao Wei are recommended.

King & Wood advises international banks on converting their PRC branches into subsidiaries, in order to attract a full range of RMB business. Clients say the practice is ‘number one - bigger and better’. Highlights of 2008 included advising a syndicate of Chinese banks on the financing of the China-Turkmenistan gas pipeline, and acting for the lending syndicate in the refinancing of New City Wai Gao Qiao Holding and its subsidiary. Managing partner Wang Ling is ‘a major banking name’.

‘Top for capital markets and securities’, Commerce & Finance Law Office also has a busy banking team. Clients include Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs, who have instructed the team on various project financings. Firm founders Han Xiaojing and Di Xiaofeng are active in the banking practice.

Haiwen & Partners has ‘a sophisticated banking practice’, with recent experience in advising PRC subsidiaries or branches of major international banks on PRC market access and the creation of new products, and representing a bank syndicate in extending a $1.8bn loan to a Sino-foreign joint venture in Shanghai. Ma Chen is well-known.

Run Ming Law Office has ‘banking prowess’ and is ‘particularly strong for aircraft financing’. Recent highlights include representing Export-Import Bank of China on a $230m term loan facility extended to Aerdragon Aviation Partners for six Airbus A320 aircraft. The team also acted as PRC counsel to Japanese sponsors of a wind farm in Inner Mongolia in securing $24m financing from Asian Development Bank. Liu Yi is rated as ‘fantastic’.

Zhong Lun Law Firm’s engagements in 2008 included acting as PRC counsel to Shanghai Wai Gao Qiao New City Warehousing in securing a $120m refinancing for the Wai Gao Qiao Bonded Logistics Park. The team also advised Bank of China and other four major Chinese Banks in connection with a RMB42bn loan to a steel manufacturing company in China. John Jiang and Shirley Xu are ‘well regarded’.

Widely commended as ‘top notch for capital markets’, Commerce & Finance Law Office ranks highly for both value and volume of deals done in 2008. Recent highlights include advising China State Construction Engineering on its announced $6.2bn IPO on the Shanghai Stock Exchange. The team also acted as PRC counsel to Changyou.com on its $138m listing of 7.5m American depository shares. Liu Gang is praised as ‘great for securities work’.

Global Law Office’s capital markets practice garners high praise as ‘very comprehensive, creative, customer-driven, responsive, and knowledgeable about securities transactions’. Recent highlights include acting for RCG Holding in its Hong Kong IPO, and advising Haerbin Jiuzhou Electric on its IPO of A shares and listing on the Shanghai Stock Exchange. Hai Huang is singled out as ‘hardworking, experienced and professional’, while Liu Jinrong ‘gives fast and accurate answers’.

The ‘very reputable’ Haiwen & Partners was co-counsel on the $6.2bn China State Construction Engineering IPO, and acted for SOHO China on its $1.9bn IPO. The practice also acted for the joint underwriters on Kingsoft’s $100m IPO, and for Dongxiang on its $705m IPO. He Fei and Zhou Weiping are noted as ‘first class for investment and securities’.

‘Excellent securities firm’ Jingtian & Gongcheng acted as PRC counsel for the underwriters on the $884m global IPO of Chinese state-owned building materials supplier, BBMG. The team also acted for the joint arrangers on Renhe Commercial Holdings’ $435m IPO and listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, and advised Zhong An Real Estate on its $464m IPO. Founding partner Bai Wei is recommended.

Jun He Law Offices is praised as ‘very good for capital markets work’. Recent highlights include acting as PRC counsel for Citigroup Global Markets Asia as sponsors of Real Gold Mining’s $132m Hong Kong IPO. Additionally, the team advised Chongqing Machinery & Electric on its issuance of 1 billion H shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, thereby raising HK$ 1.3bn.

King & Wood has one of the busiest practices in the market. Recent highlights include acting for southern China-based herbal shampoo maker Bawang International in its $215m IPO, and representing the underwriters on Changyou.com’s $138m IPO and Nasdaq listing. The team also advised Honghua Group on its $410m Hong Kong IPO. Founding partner Bai Yanchun and Yang Xiaolei are key individuals.

Zhong Lun Law Firm is ‘great for capital markets’ - in 2008, the team acted as PRC counsel to Mongolian hotpot restaurant chain Little Sheep on its $100m global offering and Hong Kong listing. The team also acted for Shenzhen Highpower Technology in its listing on the American Stock Exchange. Yuhong Yang is well regarded.

Grandall Legal Group’s recent engagements including representing China South Locomotive & Rolling Stock, the largest Chinese train maker, in its $1.5bn IPO. Additionally, the team advised China Merchants Securities on its sale of 358.5m new A shares in a $735m IPO. Beijing managing partner Wang Weidong has a busy practice.

Highlights of 2008 for Guantao Law Firm included acting for market-leading Chinese molybdenum producer Jinduichen Molybdenum in its $1.28bn IPO. Founding partner Cui Liguo has a strong capital markets focus.

Securities and investment are two of JunZeJun Law Offices’ core competencies, with seven partners dedicated to capital markets work. The debt capital markets team acted for Bank of East Asia in its RMB146m Hong Kong bond issuance. Xiuming Tao has good experience.

Capital markets is a small but significant aspect of Run Ming Law Office’s practice, where the firm leverages its expertise in banking. Managing partner Yadong Wang has a component of capital market work to his practice, with Yingying Gu a recommended specialist.

‘Very knowledgeable and easy to work with’, Jun He Law Offices is rated particularly for ‘the professionalism of the attorneys’. The firm has great strength in banking and finance, which led to some impressive M&A representations - the corporate team advised China Merchants Bank on its HK$36bn takeover of Wing Lung Bank in one of the largest outbound acquisitions by a Chinese company. The ‘really fantastic’ Xiao Wei ‘appears frequently on the biggest deals’, while Shanghai-based David Liu is also considered ‘a very strong corporate lawyer’.

‘A big firm with diverse talents’, in 2008 King & Wood continued to expand, opening an international office in New York and completing its Hong Kong merger with Arculi, Fong & Ng in addition to opening new offices in second tier cities Qingdao, Suzhou and Ji’nan. Considered ‘especially strong for commercial matters’, the practice advised Dongfang Electrical Machinery on its $1.9bn acquisition of Dongfang Turbine, and a 68% shareholding in Dongfang Boiler from its parent company, DEC. Yang Xiaolei and Zhou Ning are both ‘top calibre’.

Commerce & Finance Law Office appears on many of the most high profile deals in the market - in 2008, the firm was PRC counsel to China Unicom in its $15.8bn disposal of CDMA business and assets to China Telecom, and advised China National Bluestar on its sale to the Blackstone Group of a 20% stake for $600m. Founding partners Liu Gang and Di Xiaofeng remain ‘first class choices of counsel’.

Described as ‘responsive, sophisticated and experienced, particularly in venture capital and private equity investment’, it is no wonder that Global Law Office is instructed on an array of the top M&A deals. One highlight was representing Focus Media in the $1.4bn sale of its digital out-of-home advertising networks to SINA. Jinrong Liu, Ben Zhong and George Niu are singled out for ‘sound expertise, diligence, and business sense’.

Haiwen & Partners advised Shenzhen Development Bank on its $3.2bn sale to Ping An Insurance in 2008, and acted as PRC counsel to MAN Group in its $790m acquisition of Sinotruk. The team has ‘a great reputation for M&A work’. Fei He and Weibo Jiang ‘have great experience on a number of big transactions’.

‘Strong corporate firm’ Jingtian & Gongcheng acted as PRC counsel to China Telecom in its $15.8bn acquisition of China Unicom’s CDMA business. Founding partners Wei Bai and Hongjiu Zhang are both active in M&A work.

Described by one foreign client as an ‘excellent local firm that provides great value for its service’, Tian Yuan Law Firm advised ARC Education Investment Management in its $71m acquisition of 45% equity interest in Shaanxi Da De Education Development. Xiaohui Zhu and Hua Chen are ‘really good for M&A’.

Zhong Lun Law Firm provides ‘very good service’, with strength in both strategic M&A and private equity transactions. The team acted as PRC counsel to Shui On Construction & Materials in its $400m takeover of China Central Properties. The practice also advised AIG Global Investment on its $90m investment for a 13.5% equity interest in Lifan Group. Shanghai-based private equity specialist Lefan Gong is ‘particularly good - responsive, professional and fully bi-cultural’.

Concord & Partners advised Yiyang Yukang Communication Equipment on its $9.2m acquisition by Acorn International. Yao Yi has good M&A experience in a number of sectors, ranging from internet and telecoms to mining and resources.

DeHeng Law Office has seen recent instructions on some of the most significant deals in the market. The firm acted for Ping An Life Insurance in its $3.2bn acquisition of Shenzhen Development Bank, and advised China Yangtze Power on its $15.8bn acquisition of the remaining 18 generators in the Three Gorges Dam project from its parent company. Beijing partner Qi Jiang has an impressive record in this field.

Fangda Partners had a busy 2008, with highlight representations including acting for Blackstone in its $600m investment in China National Bluestar. Additionally, the firm advised Old Mutual on its $245m acquisition from Fortis Bank of a 49% interest in ABN AMRO TEDA Fund Management. Founding partner Jonathan Zhou has an extensive capital markets and M&A practice.

Particularly active in capital markets work, Grandall Legal Group also has a ‘strong reputation for corporate and M&A transactions’. The firm has key industry strengths in energy and insurance, which leads to a good volume of M&A. The practice advised GCL-Poly Energy on its $2.6bn acquisition of Jiangsu Zhongneng. Beijing managing partner Weidong Wang is a key dealmaker.

In 2008, Guantao Law Firm advised Shaanxi Da De Education Development on its $71m sale of 45% equity interests to ARC Education Investment Management. Additionally, the practice represented Beijing Financial Street Construction in its $204.6m joint acquisition of 40% equity interests in Hengtai Securities. Yang Ling and Liu Rong in Beijing are M&A specialists.

Technology and venture capital are cornerstones of Han Kun Law Offices’s corporate practice, reflected in recent representations such as advising Beijing Teamsun Technology in its HK$262m acquisition of Automated Systems Holdings. While the team is small, the lawyers have significant prior experience at market-leading Chinese and international law firms or companies. Yinshi Cao is recommended.

Hylands Law Firm is perhaps best known as an intellectual property practice, but also has a thriving corporate group. The practice has advised Bank of China, Merrill Lynch, GE Capital, Macquarie Bank, Microsoft and Hutchison Whampoa Properties. Zhifang Lu has impressive experience in M&A and private equity.

JunZeJun Law Offices’s corporate and M&A practice has specialties in mining, resources and financial services. In 2008, the team closed a $10m private equity investment for Kehui International. Founding partner Wang Junyan is recommended for M&A.

Run Ming Law Office’s corporate practice has some specialism advising the aircraft industry, though its 2008 deals were quite diverse. One highlight was advising Indian wind energy giant Suzlon on corporate matters relating to its subsidiary in Tianjin - the practice also advised a US private equity fund on making investments in Chinese forestry and coal resources. Founding partners Yi Liu and Fei Liang both have a focus on corporate work.

‘Impressive intellectual property boutique’ An, Tian, Zhang & Partners possesses the full range of IP expertise, though litigation is its particular strong suit. Around 90% of its work comes from foreign clients. In 2008, the firm acted for Qualcomm in China-facets of its global patent war with Nokia, and saw an uptick in pharmaceutical patent infringement claims. Founding partner An Xiaodi is ‘a top notch IP lawyer’.

CCPIT Patent & Trademark Law Office is the largest full-service IP law firm in China, and in 2008 handled 12,000 new patent applications, registered 8,000 trade marks and acted on 15 patent litigation cases, including a victory in a patent infringement retrial for Shimano. The firm notes a rise in patents filed for PRC companies. Clients rate the team for ‘considerable patent portfolio expertise’ and single out ‘highly respected’ firm president Li Yong.

‘Leading full service law firm’ King & Wood has a ‘high quality’ specialist IP practice of 30 partners. The firm formed a new group this year, which focuses on IP licensing, strategy and consulting. This adds to the team’s expertise in patent and trade mark filings, enforcement and litigation. Chen Wenping remains ‘excellent for patent prosecution and litigation’, particularly in pharmaceuticals and biotech.

Liu Shen & Associates was the first privately-owned patent agency in China and has developed into ‘a really excellent boutique IP firm’. The firm offers a full roster of IP services, but is ‘particularly rated for contentious and patent work’. The group recently hired Zhuang Yuan from Perkins Coie in Shanghai - he adds US patent attorney skills to the firm’s diverse practice.

Clients say that Wan Hui Da Intellectual Property Agency ‘deserves more recognition - it’s a great firm’. The firm remains ‘strongest in trade mark work’, which reflects its origins, but offers a full service including patent prosecution and litigation. Founding partner, Beijing-based Bai Gang, is ‘very highly regarded’, while Huang Hui was the first doctor of trade mark law in China.

In 2008, Chang Tsi & Partners acted for a multinational computer and digital products corporation in the Shenyang Intermediate People’s Court and secured a RMB400,000 victory against a domestic digital products manufacturer regarding its trade mark infringement and unfair competition acts.

China Sinda Intellectual Property Limited is rated as ‘an extremely good firm’, and covers patent, trade mark and copyright. Gary Zhang is president of the firm, and is a qualified US patent attorney with significant patent litigation experience in China.

Global Law Office’s IP team has particular strengths in copyright, trade mark, licensing and litigation - recently the practice advised Yahoo! in litigation regarding alleged copying on-line content, and TVB in litigation regarding TV drama copyright infringement against Tudou.com and other websites.

Hylands Law Firm’s broad IP practice has specialist teams covering patent, trade mark, copyright, anti-counterfeiting, franchising and licensing, investigation, domain name, brand building, and IP litigation and arbitration. 
In 2008, the firm advised the International Olympic Committee on how to protect the mobile 
phone and internet broadcasting rights arising out of the Beijing Olympics. Wang Zhengfa, Lian Yunze and Ma Xiaogang have ‘very impressive experience’.

Top full-service firm Jun He Law Offices also possesses an expert IP practice. In 2008, the team won a victory for Emerson’s Rosemount division in a trade mark and trade dress case, securing an injunction, the desired change of name, and RMB400,000 in damages.

Patents are Kangxin Partners, p.c.’s specialty, though a highlight of 2008 was securing victory at first instance and on appeal for Swarovski in a trade mark infringement case against Beijing Swarov Wedding Photos. Managing partner Samson Yu is considered ‘a great lawyer’.

NTD Patent & Trademark Agency Ltd impresses clients with its ‘strong IP focus’ and ‘large, dedicated patent department’. The firm is one of the most internationalised, with offices in Hong Kong, Washington DC, Munich, Paris and Tokyo, as well as Beijing and Shenzhen.

Perhaps better known on the banking and corporate side, Run Ming Law Office nevertheless proffers an experienced IP practice, with a focus on copyright and trade mark rather than patents. Strength in dispute resolution also lends to IP litigation prowess.

Global Law Office recently advised Trussnet USA on its $196m investment into the development and operation of 3.5 G Hz wireless broadband in 29 cities throughout China by CECT-Chinacomm Communications. The team also advised Sasol on its proposed joint venture with China Shenhua Group in the first Chinese coal-to-liquids project, and represented Asian Development Bank in its proposed financing of China Everbright International’s investment in PRC waste-to-energy projects. Zhang Xin and Jinrong Liu are both well regarded.

Jun He Law Offices advised London Mining on its RMB370m acquisition, through its Hong Kong affiliate China Global Mining Resources, of three Chinese iron ore companies. The team also advised CITIC Group’s engineering and plant supply subsidiary, CITIC International on its three engineering, procurement and construction contracts for the design and build of three cement production lines in Belarus. George Zhu is a key individual.

Recent highlights for King & Wood’s projects team include advising the syndicate of lenders on the project finance for the China-Turkmenistan Gas Pipeline. Additionally, the firm represented Yangzhou Coal Mining in its $2.6bn merger with Australian coal producer Felix Resources by a scheme of arrangement. Li Jinnan blends energy experience with finance expertise; Wang Ling is a project finance expert.

Commerce & Finance Law Office, which has great experience doing IPOs for energy companies, as well as project finance capabilities.

Grandall Legal Group has recent experience advising on hydropower and wind farms - executive partner Gao Feng and managing partner Wang Weidong both have an energy focus.

Run Ming Law Office recently acted as PRC counsel to Japanese sponsors of a wind farm in Inner Mongolia in securing $24m financing from Asian Development Bank.

Global Law Office’s recent shipping experience includes representing a Chinese company in proceeding with a $1.3 m commercial court action in Belgium against co-insurers of a shipment of white beans damaged during shipping by the company. The team also represented a Hong Kong shipping company and its P&I Club in seeking attachment of assets of a charterer based in China for security for a $5m loss claim due to breach of a contract of afreightment on the part of the charterer. Gao Yifeng is highly praised by clients as ‘very knowledgeable in Chinese maritime law and the court system; his English is great, he is patient, kind, and very responsive’. ‘He is very precise and quick in finding out the key logics and storylines of a complicated case’.

Hai Tong & Partners is a specialist shipping firm with a wealth of experience in admiralty and maritime law, insurance and reinsurance and other concomitant areas. Senior partner Wang Yengui has over 30 years of experience in shipping - he and He Jianhua are both accredited maritime arbitrators.

Peter Jiang of C & M (China) Law Offices has shipping, arbitration and litigation expertise.

Tony Dong recently joined King & Wood’s tax practice from Ernst & Young in Beijing, where he was a senior tax manager. His experience covers PRC tax risk assessment, tax planning, M&A structuring, corporate restructuring, tax due diligence and inbound investment for clients in the pharmaceutical, energy, finance, telecom, IT, real estate, shipbuilding, consumer products and manufacturing industries. Stephen Nelson heads the team, and specializes in M&A and foreign direct investment in China.

Run Ming Law Office’s ‘very useful’ tax practice is led by Ron Ma, who is noted for providing ‘really good service’. Examples of the Ma’s recent work in the area include advising a Japanese company on the comparison of tax treatments between setting up a representative office and a wholly foreign invested enterprise in China, issuing legal opinion regarding the Chinese tax consequences of certain private equity funds structures, advising an international firm regarding the Chinese tax treatments for Qualified Foreign Institutional Investors transactions and analyzing and advising on the tax consequences under different scenarios for a cross-border financing project.

He Fei at Haiwen & Partners has strong tax advisory experience.

Li Rongfa at JunZeJun Law Offices is well-known as a leading tax expert for both disputes and planning.