K&L Gates’ Shanghai office opened in 2008 to support our clients’ commercial activities in The People’s Republic of China (PRC). Our presence in Shanghai enables us to better assist Chinese and international clients with diverse complex cross-border deals and contentious matters, and provide strategic counsel for clients regularly interfacing with Chinese regulators and governmental bodies.

Our lawyers in Shanghai have extensive experience assisting clients with domestic and international legal issues and are fluent in English and Mandarin. Our deep understanding of Chinese markets and culture, combined with our fully integrated global network, enables our Shanghai office to provide extensive coverage and a coordinated approach to:

• advising multinational clients on their PRC-related issues, including mergers, public and private acquisitions, restructuring, joint ventures, state-owned enterprise issues, cross-border investments (via Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor scheme, Renminbi Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor scheme, Qualified Domestic Limited Partner scheme, China Interbank Bond Market, the Stock Connects, Bond Connect, and Mutual Recognition of Funds schemes), onshore and offshore fund formation, intellectual property protection, labor and workplace relations, international trade and customs, competition, and contract manufacturing and sourcing-related matters;


• advising foreign issuers and financial institutions on regulatory issues and assisting them with obtaining regulatory approvals and interfacing with major Chinese regulators, particularly the China Securities Regulatory Commission, the State Administration for Foreign Exchange, and the Ministry of Commerce;


• advising Chinese clients on outbound investments and go-global initiatives, including mergers and acquisitions and restructuring, debt and equity offerings, real estate transactions, global compliance matters (such as data privacy, corporate governance, labor and workplace relations, anti-money laundering, anti-bribery, and anti-corruption law issues, such as compliance with the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and U.S. export controls), intellectual property portfolio management, public policy and lobbying, foreign incentive law matters, investment management, and licensing, as well as commercial and intellectual property disputes (including section 337 proceedings before the U.S. International Trade Commission); and


• drafting and advising on legislation and supervision in the asset management and finance sectors, as well as maintaining good relationships with regulators in these sectors, such as the stock exchanges.

We are particularly adept with assisting clients operating in regulated industries in the PRC, with deep insights in the automobile, consumer goods, education, financial services, food and beverage, health care, industrial and manufacturing, logistics, mining and infrastructure, oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, real estate, and telecommunications sectors.

• Antitrust, competition, and trade regulation
• Corporate/Mergers and acquisitions
• Energy, infrastructure, and resources
• Financial services
• Intellectual property (intellectual property portfolio management, intellectual property disputes, including 337 proceedings before the U.S. International Trade Commission)
• Investment management, hedge funds, and alternative investments
• Labor, employment, and workplace safety
• Litigation and dispute resolution (commercial and intellectual property litigation, mediation, and international arbitration)
• Policy and regulatory (anti-corruption and anti-bribery law compliance, including U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and anti-money laundering law compliance)
• Privacy, data protection, and information management
• Real estate
• Telecom, media, and technology