The team at Baker McKenzie draws on the firm's international strength, but also has a notably strong domestic offering. The team is best known for corporate disputes, white collar defence and multi-jurisdictional commercial disputes, but also handles matters including criminal litigation, employment defence and defamation litigation, tax and administrative litigation, maritime law and insurance disputes, and IP, anti-counterfeiting and product liability litigation. The practice is headed by veteran litigators David Liou, who is experienced in real estate litigation and arbitrator, and Henry Chang, who has advised clients in dispute cases involving parallel proceedings across various jurisdictions.
Dispute resolution in Taiwan
Baker McKenzie
Practice head(s):
Testimonials
‘Good commercial understanding; always adding value to the business‘
‘Henry Chang displays excellent leadership‘
Key clients
Taishin Financial Holding Co., Ltd.
CPC Taiwan
Work highlights
- Represented one of the board directors of Taishin International Bank, in a criminal defense against accusations of securities fraud.
- Acting as legal counsel for CPC Taiwan, an energy company, in disputes arising from the Northern LNG project, launched against the client by contractors.
Jones Day
The dispute resolution practice at Jones Day is particularly well known for its strength in white-collar crime, corporate governance disputes, product liability litigation, catastrophic accident disputes, and construction disputes. Jointly headed by Jason Chen, Ming-Wei Lo, Po-Chien Chen, and Simon Yu, the team was recently involved in one of Taiwan's biggest food safety disputes. Also recommended are Marianne Chao and Charlene Ke, a former judge at the Taiwan High Court.
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Key clients
Ting Hsin International Group
Nomura Global Financial Products Inc.
Broadcasting Corporation of China
Jung-I Corporation
Shin Kong Financial Holding Co., Ltd.
China General Terminal and Distribution Corp. (USI Group)
SinoPac Financial Holding Co., Ltd.
Yuanta Financial Bank
Volkswagen AG
Tatung Co.
Work highlights
- Advising Ting Hsin International in one of the highest-profile food safety disputes in Taiwan’s legal history.
- Defending Nomura Global Financial Products in a cross-jurisdictional litigation jointly filed by syndicate banks.
- Represented the Broadcasting Corporation of China in an administrative appeal against the National Communications Commission (Taiwan) and an investigation by the competition authority.
- Defending an executive of Mega Bank in claims concerning insider trading.
- Representing Jung-I Construction in a civil action in which several real estate owners have sued the client over delays in a construction project.
Lin & Partners Attorneys-At-Law
Lin & Partners Attorneys-At-Law has a particular focus on government projects, having in recent years represented the Ministry of Transportation and Communications in a majority of its litigation proceedings. The team acts for corporate and individual clients in complex civil litigation and criminal investigations and white-collar defence. Representative cases include shareholder disputes, criminal libel matters, patent licensing disputes and white-collar defence. George Lin, a highly regarded and experienced litigator and arbitrator, and Matthew Chen jointly head the team. Also noted are senior associates Iris Chen, whose disputes work focuses on infrastructure projects, and Phoebe Huang, who specialises in civil litigation.
Practice head(s):
Testimonials
‘Successful strategies, efficient & effective.’
Key clients
Construcciones Y Auxiliar De Ferrocarriles, S.A.
Taiwan Area National Freeway Bureau, Ministry of Transportation and Communications
Railway Reconstruction Bureau, Ministry of Transportation and Communications
MRT Engineering Office, Bureau of High Speed Raid, Ministry of Transportation and Communications
Taoyuan International Airport Co., Ltd.
Ornatus Taiwan Ltd.
Taichung City Government
National Taiwan University
Kaohsiung City Government
Work highlights
- Acted for Construcciones Y Auxiliar De Ferrocarriles in a dispute over the government contract for a phase 1 public light rail project in Kaohsiung, where CAF claimed that the winning bidders had violated relevant government procurement laws and seriously impaired the fairness and impartiality of the open bid for the project.
- Represented Ornatus Taiwan, a distributor and retailer of suitcase company Rimowa, in a distributorship dispute with Rimowa.
- Represented Kaohsiung City Government in an appeal against a judgement on a gas explosion case.
- Defended a US citizen charged with possession of weaponry.
- Represented Taiwan’s Railway Reconstruction Bureau in defending a claim made by a contractor.
Tsar & Tsai Law Firm
The disputes team at Tsar & Tsai Law Firm includes a number of former judges and public prosecutors, and has expertise in representing clients in hearings before government agencies and the Taiwan Administrative Court. The team has recently been active in white-collar criminal defence, civil litigation defence, administrative litigation and matters related to infrastructure projects. Key figures include Jennifer Lin, who is experienced in corporate- and IP-related litigation, veteran trial lawyer Edgar Chen, former judge and public prosecutor Josh Fan, and Vincent Lin, who specialises in commercial litigation.
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Jennifer Lin is a sharp thinker and a superior attorney’
Key clients
An E-Commerce giant based in China
SANYANG MOTOR
Ex-President of MFHC
Former President of SinoPac
OHL (Taiwan) Ltd.
The chief executive officer of the Taiwan subsidiary of a multinational health care and cosmetic company.
Work highlights
- Assisted a Chinese e-commerce giant with obtaining investment approval from the Taiwanese authorities, following a successful administrative appeal against a decision to sanction the company, which is unprecedented in Taiwan.
- Represented Sanyang Motor against the Ministry of National Defense in a contractual dispute.
- Defended the ex-president of Mega Financial Holding Company and Mega International Commercial Bankin Taiwan against criminal charges.
- Represented the former president of SinoPac Holdings Co., Ltd. in criminal charges lodged under Financial Holding Company Act and Securities Exchange Act and other laws for a criminal penalty up to 12 years imprisonment.
- Represented OHL (Taiwan) Ltd., a subsidiary of a US-based forwarder, in a civil litigation filed by a Taiwanese publicly-traded company in Taiwan Taipei District Court claiming for damages of around $6m relating to tortious acts.
Chien Yeh Law Offices
Chien Yeh Law Offices' dispute resolution practice focuses on complex civil litigation and arbitration. The team handles consumer disputes, labour disputes, fraud and embezzlement claims, and IP disputes. Practice head Justin Chen specialises in corporate and fraud-related litigation and has regularly represented Japanese clients. Henry Han, who is experienced in consumer disputes, is another name to note.
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Key clients
Synnex Technology International Corporation
Sega Amusements Taiwan
Spirax Sarco Co., Ltd.
Lien Chang Electronic Enterprise Co., Ltd.
Pou Chen Corporation
Visual Photonics Epitaxy Co., Ltd.
Chan Chun Construction Co., Ltd.
Lien Hwa Industrial Corp.
UPC Technology Corporation
Min-Sheng General Hospital
Kisco (Taiwan) Ltd.
XPEC Entertainment
Work highlights
- Acted on behalf of UKC Electronics in a case of embezzlement over a payment worth $10m.
Formosan Brothers Attorneys at Law
The dispute resolution team at Formosan Brothers Attorneys at Law handles a wide variety of civil, criminal, commercial and administrative litigation, and is particularly strong in white-collar criminal defence. The team includes arbitrators registered with the Chinese Arbitration Association, and also has expertise in mediation. Key contacts include Lipu Lee, who is experienced in arbitration involving international corporates, and Chiu-Hua Chen, who focuses on construction and real estate disputes and is a leading adviser for Japanese clients.
Other key lawyers:
Work highlights
- Represented a motorcycle company in a dispute over a money laundering scheme.
- Represented a telecommunications company in a contract dispute.
- Represented a consumer-direct marketing company in the health and personal care sector in a dispute over bonuses.
K&L Gates
K&L Gates has particular specialisms in the energy and information technology sectors, and is highly experienced in cross-border cases where it acts primarily for international clients. The team handles both civil and criminal litigation, including in the last twelve months toxic tort litigation, construction disputes, white-collar criminal investigations, and IP disputes. The practice group is jointly headed by Shilin Huang, who has extensive cross-Strait litigation experience, and Alex Hung, who is recommended for IP-related cases. Also of note is Lu-Shin Lee, who was recently involved in a landmark toxic tort case.
Practice head(s):
Key clients
Chinatrust Financial Holding
Taiwan Power
China Petrochemical Development Corp.
Work highlights
- Represented China Petrochemical, the defendant in a high-profile toxic tort case with over 300 plaintiffs.
- Defended Chinatrust Financial Holding against accusation of insider trading.
Brain Trust International Law Firm
Brain Trust International Law Firm acts for corporates and private clients from Taiwan, the United States, and other countries in litigation and non-litigation matters. The practice handles matters including multinational corporate litigation, indemnity disputes, shareholder litigation, criminal defence, and matters relating to tax. Pratice head Hung Ou Yang specialises in white-collar crime disputes.
Practice head(s):
Testimonials
‘Abundant and practical experience’
‘Hung Ou Yang is attentive, smart and very solution-oriented’
Key clients
Hexion Inc.
ThisCap INC.
LCFC
Souvenir Avanti Inc.
HPC Technology Inc.
Taipei WangTea
Leading Edge Capital Ltd.
Canine Paw Print Publishing
Kordsa Teknik Tekstil A.S.
Work highlights
- Represented Souvenirs Avanti in claiming damages in a case of wire fraud.
- Defended client who allegedly belonged to a group of foreign nationals manufacturing and using fake credit cards in Taiwan.
- Filed a criminal complaint and a civil lawsuit on behalf of the victims of a scam.
- Advised and acted on behalf of Ferrari regarding a trade mark infringement.
- Filed a civil lawsuit against a trustee of a property who used it for a housing scam.
Lee and Li, Attorneys-at-Law
Lawyers at Lee and Li, Attorneys-at-Law advise and represent clients in a range of disputes, including civil, criminal, public law, patents, constitutional litigation, administrative litigation, cross-border litigation, arbitration and ADR, and civil and administrative enforcement. They also work with with domestic and foreign law firms to manage and co-ordinate multi-jurisdictional actions.
Lexcel Partners
Lexcel Partners has particular experience acting for local governments and has a niche expertise in litigation for insurance companies. Jointly headed by David Tsai and Kang-Shen Liu, the team handles civil and criminal litigation, administrative proceedings, arbitration, mediation and appraisals. Associates Naiju Kuan and Chenchi Wang, who have close links to the firm's IP practice, are also noted.
Practice head(s):
Key clients
Ministry of Economic Affairs
New Taipei City Government
Aia International Limited Taiwan Branch
KGI Bank
China Life Insurance Co., Ltd.
Airoha Technology Corp.
Work highlights
- Represented the Ministry of Economic Affairs in a case brought against a vendor.
- Represented the Taipei New City Government in civil and administrative suits brought against a construction contractor.
- Represented AIA, an insurance company, in an HR suit.
- Represented ChinaLife in a suit against insurance agents relating to a tortious act for which ChinaLife had to pay compensation.
Winkler Partners
The dispute resolution team at Winkler Partners is particularly strong in IP enforcement and disputes involving commercial contracts, casualty insurance, and employment matters. In addition, the team assists clients with enforcing foreign judgments and arbitral awards in Taiwan, including advice on judicial assistance and letters rogatory. The practice is co-headed by Gary Kuo, who specialises in IP-related issues, and Christine Chen, who has expertise in disputes arising from employment contracts and infringement matters. Ling-ying Hsu is also noted.
Practice head(s):
Work highlights
- Represented a car parts manufacturer suing a rival for the sale of infringing goods in the market.
- Assisted a Japanese high-net-worth individual with filing a criminal complaint against a fraudulent cross border (Hong Kong, Japan and Taiwan) scheme involving the loss of several million US dollars and coordinating related cross-border prosecution strategy.
- Negotiated settlement of a claim arising from the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008 on behalf of a Taiwanese financial institution.
- Negotiated resolution of dispute arising from faulty goods supplied by a Taiwanese manufacturer on behalf of a Germany-based children’s toy and school supplies brand.
- Acted as panellist in fourteen domain name disputes through the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center.
Zoomlaw Attorneys-At-Law
Zoomlaw Attorneys-At-Law's dispute resolution practice benefits from a seamless working relationship with its core M&A and IP groups. The team acts for clients in Taiwan's key domestic sectors, such as semiconductor manufacturing and cosmetics, and has experience in representing public companies in civil litigation and litigation related to medical liability. The practice is co-headed by Kuoha Fan, who is experienced in cross-Strait matters, and Ling-Hao Kuo, who is the main contact for administrative litigation.
Practice head(s):
Key clients
Green Energy Technology Inc.
Flip Chip Opto ltd.
Asia Vital Components Co., Ltd. (AVC)
Amorepacific Taiwan Co.
Sichuan Beiteer Rubber Technology Co., Ltd.
ES Nanotech Co., Ltd.
Taiwan Railways Administration
Sushiro Taiwan Co. Ltd.
Work highlights
- Handled litigation cases for the Traffic Adjudication Office of the Taipei City Government.
- Handled administrative litigation for the National Health Insurance Administration.