The Legal 500

DLA Piper

What we say about the firm's legal practice in China

Banking and finance

Within Foreign firms Other recommended firms

Corporate & M&A

Within Foreign firms, tier 4

DLA Piper continues to handle cross-border deals involving large corporations in PRC. The team acted for AsiaInfo Holdings on its headline acquisition of Linkage Technologies International Holdings. Beijing corporate head Steven Liu, Shanghai corporate leader Wan Li and Hong Kong-based Asia corporate head Mabel Lui are key contacts.

Dispute resolution

Within Foreign firms, DLA Piper LLP is a second tier firm,

DLA Piper’s key China practice is led by office managing partner Roy Chan in Shanghai and Sammy Fang in Beijing. It regularly handles key mandates relating to contentious investigations, major shareholder disputes between global players and their Chinese counterparts, and product liability. The practice has been growing its securities class action capabilities and recently assisted US-listed Chinese company Oriental Paper in a US securities class action arising from attacks against its shares by short sellers in the US market, and various allegations concerning the credibility of its financials.

Employment

Within Foreign firms, DLA Piper LLP is a second tier firm,

DLA Piper provides cradle-to-grave advice to domestic and multinational clients in a variety of sectors, including banking and finance, where the team has been involved in some ground-breaking work regarding non-compete provisions. Other work included acting for a leading global utility company in the negotiation of a collective contract with its trade union. Kevin Jones leads the team in Shanghai, which recently welcomed associate Sarah Gao from highly regarded local firm Jun He Law Offices. Hong Kong-based Pattie Walsh is practice head and praised by clients for her ability to give on the spot advice.

Intellectual property

Within Foreign firms Other recommended firms

Private equity/venture capital

Within Foreign firms, DLA Piper LLP is a second tier firm,

DLA Piper welcomed of counsel Kaichen Xu from O’Melveny & Myers LLP’s Shanghai office. The team advised Charm Communications in connection with its strategic investment by Aegis Group. Beijing-based corporate head Steven Liu and Chris Terry are key individuals. In Hong Kong, Mabel Lui is well regarded.

Projects and energy

Within Foreign firms, DLA Piper LLP is a third tier firm,

Hogan Lovells International LLP advised Petroleos de Venezuela and the Ministry of Finance of Venezuela in the landmark $20bn financing of infrastructure and social projects in Venezuela, the largest Chinese financing in Latin America. Shanghai and Beijing-based Steven Robinson, Beijing partners Jun Wei and Roy Zou are recommended. Consultant Terence Wong, in Shanghai, is also an experienced lawyer.

Real estate

Within Foreign firms, DLA Piper LLP is a second tier firm,

DLA Piper’s integrated China and Hong Kong practice includes Kit Kwok in Shanghai, who has been instrumental in the group’s work for key client Tesco. The firm has been advising it on all its real estate acquisition work in China including Project Trolley II, where foreign investors invest alongside Tesco in several of its acquisitions and/or developments. It includes a joint venture to develop shopping malls in China, where 50% will be owned by a consortium of Asian investors, including Metro Holdings in Singapore, and will comprise three shopping malls, with Tesco as anchor tenant. Other key clients include Redevco and RDM gruppo Fingen. Susheela Rivers heads the practice from Hong Kong.

Shipping

Within Foreign firms, DLA Piper LLP is a second tier firm,

DLA Piper has a strong focus on financing, and mergers and acquisitions within the shipping sector. The group also benefits from the in-depth knowledge of Shanghai managing partner Roy Chan, who is experienced in handling China-related shipping and insurance matters, and the ‘outstanding’ Kevin Chan (a ‘highly professional lawyer with dedication to his work’), who is well-known for his work in complex shipping disputes.

TMT

Within Foreign firms Other recommended firms

Tax

Within Foreign firms, DLA Piper LLP is a first tier firm,

DLA Piper received a significant boost at the start of 2011, hiring Stephen Nelson, previously head of tax and co-head of the corporate group at well- respected local firm King & Wood. Nelson’s arrival strengthens the group’s expertise relating to foreign investments, and increases its capabilities in the TMT and financial services sectors. In 2010, the team was particularly busy in tax-related supply chain management issues and advising on tax issues relating to corporate and restructuring transactions. Daniel Chan is also well-known in the field.


What we say worldwide

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United Arab Emirates

Offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi

Australia

Austria

Offices in Vienna

Belgium

Offices in Antwerp and Brussels

Bahrain

Offices in Manama

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Offices in Sarajevo

China

Offices in Beijing and Shanghai

Czech Republic

Offices in Prague

Germany

Offices in Cologne, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Munich, and Berlin

Egypt

Offices in Cairo

Spain

Offices in Madrid

France

Offices in Paris

Georgia

Offices in Tbilisi

Hong Kong

Offices in Hong Kong

Hungary

Offices in Budapest

Indonesia

India

Italy

Offices in Milan and Rome

Japan

Offices in Tokyo

Kuwait

Offices in Safat

London

Offices in London

Netherlands

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Norway

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North West

Offices in Liverpool and Manchester

Oman

Offices in Muscat

Poland

Offices in Warsaw

Qatar

Offices in Doha and Doha

Romania

Offices in Bucharest

Russia

Offices in Moscow and St Petersburg

Scotland

Offices in Glasgow and Edinburgh

Sweden

Offices in Stockholm

Singapore

Offices in Singapore

South Korea

Slovakia

Offices in Bratislava

Saudi Arabia

Offices in Riyadh

Thailand

Offices in Bangkok

Turkey

Offices in Istanbul

Ukraine

Offices in Kiev

United States

Offices in San Francisco, Seattle, Palo Alto, San Diego (Downtown), Boston, Los Angeles, Tampa, Chicago, Baltimore, Washington DC, New York, Philadelphia, Dallas, Las Vegas, North Carolina, Austin,Texas, Houston, Texas, Reston, Virginia, Minneapolis, Atlanta, La Jolla, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Diego (Golden Triangl, Los Angeles, Silicon Valley, Orlando, New Jersey, and Maryland

Vietnam

West Midlands

Offices in Birmingham

Yorkshire and the Humber

Offices in Leeds and Sheffield

Serbia

Offices in Belgrade

Legal Developments by:
DLA Piper LLP

  • Sentencing guidelines for corporate manslaughter

    In February 2010 the Sentencing Guidelines Council (the SGC) issued definitive guidelines to courts on imposing appropriate sentences for corporate manslaughter and health and safety offences causing death. The SGC states that fines imposed on companies found guilty of corporate manslaughter should not fall below £500,000, while fines in respect of health and safety offences that are a significant cause of death should be at least £100,000. Crucially, the SGC declined to provide for a fixed link between the imposed fine and the turnover or profitability of the offending company.

    - DLA Piper UK LLP

Legal Developments worldwide

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