Jump to: Main Practice Areas | Partner Profiles | Contact
Introduction
Guangzhou is the leading commercial and manufacturing economic centre in the powerful Southern region of China. With 235 legal professionals, Guangzhou-based Guangda is the most recognized law firm within this region and ranks among the top law firms in all of China. Guangda has developed an excellent reputation with both foreign and domestic clients, including corporations, individuals and government entities. Their services cover all major practice areas but their specific expertise is in corporate and capital markets, real estate and construction, cross border investment and litigation and dispute resolution.
Awards and Recognition
Guangda is a repeat winner of the Guangdong Law Firm of the Year by Asian Legal Business, has been awarded National Outstanding Law Firm and Ministerial-level Model Law Firm in 2000 by the Ministry of Justice, and has been awarded the Top Ten Law Firms in China in 2000 by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.
Representative Clients
Guangda's representative clients include Hong Kong Hutchison Whampoa, CITIC South China Group, Mitsui, Nissho Iwai, China Vanke, China Orient Asset Corporation, Cheung Kong (Holdings), Eagle Brand, Actavis (Foshan) Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Adonia Development Limited, Guangzhou Ever Bright Development Co., Ltd., Dymatic Chemical, AGC Automotive, Earth Tech, Luenthai International, Mondi Group, China Overseas, R&F Properties, Shanghai China Business Network Daily, the Administration of Quality and Technology Supervision of Guangdong, Xingsheng Real Estate (China Plaza) and Hengda Real Estate.
Founding and Offices
Founded in 1998 by 17 original partners, Guangda is recognized today as a top 10 law firm in China. With its 235 legal professionals spread across offices in Guangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen, the firm presents clients with both a wide geographic reach in China and a wide legal knowledge base that compares well with all other PRC firms. Guangda maintains its largest presence in its headquarters in Guangzhou.
Qualifications and Background of Lawyers
Guangda's ninety eight associate lawyers have all obtained masters degrees in law. Additionally, seven lawyers have received legal training in the United States, Great Britain, Austria and other foreign countries. Eleven associates at Guangda have the ability to work in one or more foreign languages and some partners have previously been employed in large international law firms.
Government Relations
Guangda fosters key relations with governmental bodies both locally and nationally. Through the service of several partners at various governmental bodies and as a key advisor to several governmental agencies, Guangda is well positioned to provide valuable representation of their domestic and international clients. Current Guangda lawyers hold positions in the People's Congress at the district level and are members of the arbitration commissions at both the national and municipal level. Additionally, the firm's managing partner, Mr. Xue Yunhua, has the distinction of serving as the vice-chairman at the national level of the All China Lawyers' Association (ACLA) which allows him and the firm broad knowledge of how to navigate the law under the central and local governments' influence.
The firm serves as legal counsel for the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of Guangdong, the Guangdong Provincial Government, the Guangdong Information Industry Department, the Administration of Quality and Technology Supervision of Guangdong, the Price Control Administration of Guangdong, the Guangdong Microwave Communication Bureau, the Communications Commission of Guangzhou, the Price Control Administration of Guangzhou and the Bureau of Finance of Guangzhou.
Main Practice Areas
Corporate and Capital Markets
Legal issues in corporate and capital market transactions are some of the most complex faced by lawyers throughout the world. These issues in China are no different. Clients needing a solution to their capital markets and corporate issues in China need look no further than Guangda as these represent two of their core practice areas. The Guangda corporate and securities group is largely based in the Guangzhou office and advises clients on planning and managing mergers and acquisitions (M&A), corporate restructuring, Chinese joint ventures, project financing, and business operations of listed companies. With twelve dedicated attorneys in the corporate and capital markets group, each with several years of legal experience, Guangda provides its clients with a high level of service in these complex areas of the law.
Key partners in the Corporate and Securities Practice Group of Guangda include Peter Zhang and Lan Yongqiang (see bios of key partners below).
Representative corporate and securities matters include:
- Advised Eagle Brand, a public company listed in Singapore, on selling its sanitary-ware business to Roca Group
- Advised a controlling shareholder of state-owned Donghua Industries, a Chinese publicly traded company, on its transfer of shares to a private company
- Advised a private purchaser on its acquisition of state-owned stocks in Guangzhou Lengji, a Chinese public company
- Advised a BVI company on acquiring equity interests in Beijing Hengzhiyuan Company, a domestic company
- Advised Actavis (Foshan) Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. on acquiring equity interests in AAI Company (a Sino-foreign cooperative company), Shanghai Mephax Company (a wholly foreign owned enterprise WFOE) and Guangzhou Delong Company (a domestic company)
- Advised Guangzhou Ever Bright Development Co., Ltd. on the acquisition of equity interests in Guangdong Huasheng Real Estate Development Co., Ltd., a Sino-foreign cooperative company.
Real Estate and Construction
The legal issues that arise in real estate and construction transactions in China are unique in the world. The complex issues that arise under China's land use rights system are solved by Guangda's experienced Real Estate and Construction Practice Group. The firm's real estate and construction group advises clients on real estate project management, construction contracts, assets restructuring, M&A, and on real estate financing and litigation. With eighteen dedicated attorneys in the real estate and construction practice group and with their many years of experience, Guangda provides its clients with the highest level of service in real estate and construction related projects.
Key partners in the real estate practice of Guangda include Xue Yunhua and Lu Zhihui. (See bios of key partners below).
Representative real estate matters include:
- Advised Kumagai Gumi (Hong Kong) on the development, sale and management of the Zhongtian Plaza (CITIC Plaza) Project, which was valued at HK 2 billion
- Advised China Overseas on the development, sale and management of Guangzhou Glorious City Garden, which was valued at RMB 1.8 billion
- Advised China Overseas on the development, sale and management of Elegant Town, which was valued at RMB 2 billion
- Advised R&F Properties Group, a Hong Kong listed company, on the development, sale and management of R&F Plaza, R&F Bitao Wan, R&F Yulong Ting, R&F Eastern Dynasty, R&F Peach Garden, R&F Aristocratic House, R&F Yiju, R&F Jinyang, R&F Artist Garden and R&F Water Front Garden
- Advised China Vanke on the development, sale and management of Vanke Wonder Land, which was valued at RMB 1.2 billion
- Advised China Vanke on the development, sale and management of Vanke City Garden, which was valued at RMB 630 million.
Cross Border Investment
The cultural friction during negotiations between international and domestic Chinese businessmen can be great at times. However, Guangda's cross border investment group works hard to bridge the gap between these differences and provides real solutions and alternatives to its clients during negotiations in all types of cross border deals. The firm's cross border investment group advises clients on foreign investment, M&A, international trade and trade dispute resolution, internet & hi-tech legal issues, capital operations, asset dispositions, technology contract management, E-commerce and IPR enforcement. With eleven dedicated attorneys holding substantial experience in this area, the Guangda cross border investment group provides its clients with a high level of service in international business issues related to China.
Key partners in international business group of Guangda include Chen Yufang and Irene Yang. (See bios of key partners below).
Representative international business matters include:
- Advised Nissho Iwai from Japan on establishing a WFOE trading company in China
- Advised Dymatic Chemical on establishing a JV with Wacker from Germany
- Advised AGC Automotive on establishing WOFEs in Southern China
- Advised Earth Tech on its acquisition and restructuring of a water treatment BOT project
- Advised Luenthai International on building the Luenthai Industry Town in Southern China
- Advised Mondi Packaging from Austria on an assets disposition.
Litigation and Dispute Resolution
No client begins a transaction hoping a significant dispute will arise from it. Although, if a dispute does arise, Guangda's litigation and dispute resolution group provides the seasoned expertise to protect its client's interests. The firm's litigation and dispute resolution group, with 26 dedicated lawyers, advises clients on litigation, arbitration and mediation related to our client's needs in civil, administrative, financing, securities, M&A, assets restructuring, real estate, execution, real estate, and security issues.
Key partners in the Litigation and Arbitration Practice Group of Guangda include Qiu Weiwen, Wang Haohui and Li Guanghui (see bios of key partners below).
Representative litigation and arbitration matters include:
- Acted for China Orient Asset Corporation on claiming loan and interest against a real estate company
- Acted for Mitsui on claiming payment from a local enterprise
- Acted for a Sino-foreign cooperative enterprise on claiming tax fees against its Chinese shareholder
- Defended one of the Senior Managers of South News Daily involved in a corruption case
- Defended the Administration of Quality and Technology Supervision of Guangdong Province against administrative litigation
- Acted for Shanghai China Business Network Daily on a tort of defamation vs. Foxconn Electronics Inc.
Biographies of Key Partners
Xue Yunhua is the firm's managing partner and a senior partner in the real estate and construction group based in Guangda's Guangzhou office. His practice is focused on real estate, land use, construction contracts, asset acquisition, corporate restructuring and M&A. He received the Ten Best Lawyers in Guangdong Province award in 1995 and the national honours of Excellent Lawyers of 1996 and the same award in 1998. He has been a practicing lawyer since 1986, after receiving an L.L.B. from Southwest University of Political Science and Law. Mr. Xue, currently has the distinction of serving as the vice-chairman at the national level of the All China Lawyers' Association.
Peter Zhang is a senior partner in the corporate and capital markets group based in Guangda's Guangzhou office. His practice is focused on planning and managing M&A, corporate restructuring and establishing Chinese joint venture projects and has been a practicing attorney since 1995. He was awarded the Contributor to a Stable Society Award for 2006 by the Guangzhou Lawyers' Association for his vast community efforts. His educational background includes an L.L.B. in international economic law from Fudan University and an L.L.M. with an emphasis on business transactions from the University of Pacific's McGeorge School of Law in the United States. He also studied international business law at the University of Salzburg in Austria.
Lan Yongqiang is a senior partner in the corporate and capital markets group based in Guangda's Guangzhou office. His practice focuses on corporate, financing, securities, M&A and corporate restructuring and has been practicing since 1995. He received an L.L.B. from Lanzhou University in 1989 and continued his studies, after teaching at Lanzhou University for a brief time, by receiving an L.L.M. from Peking University in 1995.
Chen Yufang is a senior partner in the cross border investment group based in Guangda's Shanghai office. His practice is focused on helping domestic and international clients with issues related to M&A, the formation and restructuring of joint venture projects, project finance, foreign investment and business operations within China. He has been a practicing lawyer since 1995 and earned his law degree from Fudan University.
Irene Yang is a senior partner in the cross border investment group based in the firm's Guangzhou office. Her practice is focused on foreign investment, M&A, international trade, international dispute resolution, internet & hi-tech legal issues, capital operations, asset acquisition, technology contracts, e-commerce strategy and IPR enforcement. She received an L.L.B. from Zhejiang University and an L.L.M. from Sun Yat-sen University. She has been a practicing lawyer since 1998 and on occasion continues to serve as a visiting scholar at London University.
Zhu Yuming is a senior partner in the real estate and construction group based in Guangda's Guangzhou office. His practice is focused on real estate, land use, finance and litigation. He has been a practicing lawyer since 1997, when he received an L.L.B. in International Economic Law from Fudan University.
Qiu Weiwen is a senior partner in the litigation and arbitration group based in Guangda's Guangzhou office. His practice focuses on civil, administrative, litigation, mediation and arbitration matters. He has been a practicing lawyer since 1995, after he received an L.L.B. from East China University of Political Science and Law.
Wang Haohui is a senior partner in the litigation and arbitration group based in Guangda's Guangzhou office. His practice focuses on disputes related to finance, securities, M&A, corporate restructuring, real estate and general civil litigation. He has been a practicing lawyer since 1995, when he received an L.L.B. from Sun Yat-sen University.
Li Guanghui is a senior partner in the litigation and arbitration group based in Guangda's Shenzhen office. His practice is focused on disputes related to real estate, finance, securities, M&A, corporate restructuring and litigation matters. He has been a practicing lawyer since 1990, after he received an L.L.B. from China University of Political Science and Law.
Chen Zuoke is a senior partner in the litigation and arbitration group based in Guangda's Guangzhou office. His practice is focused on disputes related to real estate, civil and economic litigation matters. Prior to commencing his private practice, Mr. Chen served as a judge at the Intermediate Court of Guangzhou. He received an L.L.B. from China University of Political Science and Law.
Contact Guangda Law Firm
Guangzhou Office
27F Dongshan Plaza
69 Xian Lie Road Central
Guangzhou, 510000
China
Tel + 86 20 8732 2666 / 2669
Fax + 86 20 8732 2706
Shanghai Office
Suite E,19F, Haixing Plaza
1 Rui Jin Road South
Shanghai, 200023
China
Tel + 86 21 6418 8686 / 6416-5522
Fax + 86 21 6418 9696
Beijing Office
Room1201, AnlianPlaza,
Beijing International Center,
38.North,3rdRingRoadEast,
ChaoyangDistrict, Beijing, 100026
China
Tel + 86 10 8587 0068
Fax + 86 10 8587 0078
Shenzhen Office
Suite A, 6/F, Benyuan
Plaza, 6015 Shennan Road
Futian District
Shenzhen, 518040
China
Tel + 86 755 3335 8866
Fax + 86 755 3335 8855