Top-tier firm Fangda Partners has a strong track record and robust presence across the market. The firm focuses on handling high-profile, high-stakes and complex litigation and has particular expertise in multi-jurisdictional disputes including international arbitration. The firm also enjoys pre-eminence in the IP, regulatory and insolvency space.
Key figures in the dispute resolution team include Pu (Alexandra) Yang, Helen Shi, Nuo Ji and Kate Yin, who specialise in IP, international arbitration, insolvency and government and regulatory matters respectively. Benjamin Miao, Daniel Huang and Peter Yuen are other key practitioners.
The firm has been kept busy with a string of commercial disputes, including representing Shanghai Jinxin Investment Advisory and Everbright Jinhui Investment Management (Shanghai) in filing a lawsuit against PRC-listed company Baofeng Group and its actual controller before the PRC Supreme Court; representing Bank of Communications Trustee before the Beijing No 4 Intermediate People’s Court against China Energy Reserve and Chemicals Group Company in a dispute arising from the deed of guarantee involving US dollar bonds; and representing Cinda Investment in court litigation over a contract dispute of real estate development operation against a listed general merchandise company and its subsidiary.
On the employment side, the firm is representing a leading domestic cosmetics company in an equity incentive lawsuit against a former senior employee. It also represented Sinotec in a labour dispute case initiated by a former executive concerning a huge amount of project bonus.
In intellectual property, the firm is representing Apple in a series of proceedings against Zhizhen involving the “iRobot” patent, including adopting aggressive defence strategies such as declaratory action and invalidation. One of the main cases in the series involves the highest damages request so far in all IP fields in China. Another marquee matter had the firm advising video game developer Moonton as the global lead counsel on its parallel actions against Tencent and its affiliates in the US, Thailand, Indonesia, Korea and Japan. In this case, the Shenzhen Intermediate Court has held more than 80 hearings for the first instance, which is unique in Chinese civil litigation history.
On the international arbitration front, the firm acted for China Development Bank in a series of litigations arising from an independent bank guarantee dispute against a Russian borrower and its PRC-related entities.
The firm’s dispute resolution practice promoted Sophia Feng, Yang Liu and Wang Zhang to partners in June 2022. Its IP department has lost partners Gordon Gao and Sherry Yao to King & Wood Mallesons in May 2022, while Wen Zou joined the firm as partner from Gen Law Firm in September 2022.
The firm counts some well-known companies as litigation clients, including Alibaba UC Technology, ByteDance, Intel Corporation, NavInfo and Ralph Lauren Corporation.
Client feedback
“Professional, reliable and very responsive.” – Commercial and transactions
Benjamin Miao
“Ben gives measured and practical advice tempered by the realities of China’s political and legal system.”
Yu (Tony) Xiang
“Tony is very reliable. Although he was very busy all times with an extreme workload, he was able to manage his time and allocate sufficient attention to the matters I assigned to Fangda Partners. Fangda can take the burden from our shoulders, leaving us to focus on our business’s core activities.”
Alvin Xiao
“Lawyer Xiao has outstanding professional skills. He is able to grasp arbitration cases with great precision, and can often offer profound insights and reasonable solutions aligned with the actual needs of the company. He is a rare hands-on partner.”
Weiguo (William) Yang
“Able to communicate thoroughly and efficiently between all parties concerned when representing us in cases and providing professional analyses.”
Heidi Zhang
“Heidi provides timely responses and professional services.”
Bo Zhou
“Lawyer Zhou is very professional and dedicated. We are reassured by his presence.”
