Suite 503, 5/F, St. George's Building, 2 Ice House Street, Central, Hong Kong
+852 2868 0696
“A conversation with a wise man is better than ten years of study.”
– Chinese Proverb
With experienced lawyers in both our Hong Kong and Shanghai offices, OLN is well-placed not only to plan but also to execute and fully implement clients’ business needs in Mainland China.
Hong Kong has ranked as the world’s freest economy in the Wall Street Journal and Heritage Foundation’s Index of Economic Freedom for 16 consecutive years, since the inception of the index in 1995.
An internationally accepted Rule of Law, sound regulatory controls, and one of the freest economies in the world naturally position Hong Kong as the economic and legal bridge for entities wishing to do business with or in Mainland China.
Our Approach
Our China Practice has a long history of offering strategic and legal assistance to multinationals, investment funds, professional services firms, local companies, importers, and trading businesses of various sizes, as well as entrepreneurs in handling cross-border mergers and acquisitions projects. We have experience in dealing with bank and project financing, restructuring existing businesses, obtaining approvals and licensing for specific projects, setting up offices, and maintaining business presences in Mainland China. Whether through Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprises (WFOEs), joint ventures, or representative offices, we assist commercial activities in a wide range of industries, including property development, banking, and financial services, information technology, manufacturing, infrastructure, insurance, apparel, publishing, construction, retail, logistics, and distribution.
One of the primary concerns of our clients is their unfamiliarity with customs, legal regime, regulations, procedures, and the general business environment in Mainland China, such as the issues of licensing and taxation. We will help clients to identify and resolve such concerns and take them through the labyrinth of relevant legislation and help protect their interests by liaising with relevant PRC government authorities, negotiating with the contracting parties, and drafting commercial agreements and documents relating to various types of transactions.
Another major concern of doing business in China is the protection of Intellectual Property Rights. OLN has a substantial Intellectual Property practice, we help clients to deal with both contentious and non-contentious Intellectual Property work including trademark, patent, and copyright matters. Our Shanghai Intellectual Property team has been granted a license to file and prosecute trademarks directly in China and deal with the PRC examiners without a third party.
We have assisted Chinese state-owned enterprises and privately-owned China enterprises in establishing and expanding their businesses and investment activities through or in Hong Kong. We have accumulated extensive and in-depth experience regarding the respective legal systems and business environments of Mainland China and Hong Kong and are able to comprehensively serve the client’s needs. Our China Practice lawyers are proficient in Chinese (including Putonghua) and English and they are experienced in dealing with the unique Chinese business culture.
Our IP expertise in both Hong Kong and Mainland China covers:
- Trademark, patent and copyright portfolio management, from pre-filing to post-registration
- Enforcement of IP rights against competitors and infringers
- Proactive protection of IP rights and anti-piracy initiatives
- Commercial IP – acquisition and exploitation of IP rights, including franchise agreements and licensing
- Internet and domain name issues, media and advertising law, packaging, labeling, regulatory requirements, trade secret protection and related data protection.
