Hong Kong, April 23, 2004 … The global law firm White & Case today announced that the Government of China has licensed the establishment of a White & Case LLP office in Beijing, which will add to the Firm’s ability to serve its multinational clients and a growing roster of domestic Chinese interests.
The license, which was granted by the Ministry of Justice of the People’s Republic of China on 12 April 2004, allows White & Case to open an office in the capital city of Beijing – the Firm’s third China office following Shanghai (opened in 2001) and the China headquarters in Hong Kong (opened in 1978).
Duane Wall, the Firm’s Managing Partner, thanked the Ministry of Justice and the Beijing Justice Bureau and commented, “We welcome the opportunity to expand our presence in China and to apply our global capabilities and extensive local knowledge at a time of exciting developments in the country, among our clients and within our Firm. Our Beijing office will be a significant part of our China practice as we expand both the depth and breadth of our work in the country.”
White & Case sees Beijing as important not only as the focal point for law and government policy in China, but also as a vital commercial and financial center in its own right. The Firm has forged long-standing relationships with Chinese government authorities at both national and local levels, and has for more than two decades assisted multinational and Chinese companies doing business locally and abroad. John Kuzmik, who leads the Firm’s China practice, said that White & Case now looks to the Beijing office to enhance the Firm’s success in China.
“Although we expect continued strategic direct investment by our corporate and institutional clients in China, the trend is toward more financially-driven transactions and complex mergers and acquisitions,” Kuzmik said. “White & Case also is increasingly called upon to assist Chinese companies and financial institutions as they expand abroad. Our Beijing office will provide us with even better access to government decision makers, as well as to the headquarters of China’s largest corporations and financial institutions.”
White & Case is currently advising the largest Chinese banks on lending to major infrastructure development projects and domestic companies in regard to international financial transactions and litigation. The Firm will continue to participate in the intense growth and burgeoning sophistication of business transactions involving China, both inbound and outbound, drawing on its strong global capabilities and depth of experience.
“The refinement of China’s economy is an on-going process. The structuring and implementation of business transactions in China require both innovation and a multi-disciplinary approach to meet our clients’ legal needs,” Kuzmik added.
Accordingly, the Firm is staffing its China practice with focused concentration on capabilities in capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, venture capital and private equity, banking and finance, taxation and intellectual property.
The White & Case office is to be located on the 9th floor of the Beijing International Club Office Tower, adjacent to the St. Regis Hotel, in the prime commercial center of Chaoyang District Beijing.
