Zhejiang - Jurisdiction Review | Benchmark Litigation

Jingtian & Gongcheng

Firm overview

Founded in the early 1990s, Jingtian & Gongcheng is one of the first private and independent partnership law firms in China. Since our establishment almost three decades ago, and through the dedicated efforts and innovative initiatives launched by its founding partners, Jingtian & Gongcheng has developed a dynamic culture where its emerging talent are continually inspired, challenged, and provided with ample opportunity for growth. We are by now widely recognized as one of the top full service business law firms in China.

We command leading positions in Capital Markets, Major Asset Restructuring, Mergers and Acquisitions, Cross-border Investments, Dispute Resolution, Banking and Finance, Asset Management, Investment Funds, Private Equity and Venture Capital, Real Estate & Construction, Intellectual Property, Employment and Labor, Cybersecurity & Data Protection, as well as a range of industry sectors including Technology, Media and Telecommunications, Healthcare, Education, Arts, Sports & Entertainment, and Global Energy & Natural Resources.

Headquartered in Beijing, Jingtian & Gongcheng advises our clients through our offices that are located in China’s key economic centers, including Shanghai, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Tianjin, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Sanya and Hong Kong, enabling us to collaborate with our clients where they need us. Among our regional locations, our Hong Kong office (Jingtian & Gongcheng Law Firm Limited Legal Liability Partnership) is a leading law firm with highly experienced partners who are qualified to practice Hong Kong law and who maintain the ability to independently provide Hong Kong legal services. As part of Jingtian & Gongcheng’s long-term expansion plans, this means we currently provide comprehensive coverage of China’s five special economic zones, which include Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, the Yangtze River Delta, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the Southwest Economic Zone, and the Hainan Free Trade Port. Through this strategic coverage, in addition to our unique management approach and integrated “one firm” platform, Jingtian & Gongcheng provides a wide range of innovative legal services tailored to our domestic and multinational clients.

Our firm maintains 180 partners registered and approximately 780 lawyers and legal assistants. Most of our lawyers graduated from top-tier Chinese and international law schools and maintain solid technical capabilities and commercial know-how. Many of our lawyers have previously worked in government agencies, PRC courts, arbitration institutions, PRC and international law firms, and industry-leading enterprises and, through their work, they have developed an in-depth knowledge of their respective focus areas. As our firm continues to grow, we have increasingly attracted more of the brightest talent to join our next generation of lawyers who will continue to serve our valued clients and build upon our track record of success.

Jingtian & Gongcheng is deeply committed to serving our clients and we advance and protect their interests by providing innovative, commercial legal advice. We adapt our solutions to shifting market trends and to the needs of our clients. Because of this, we have deep, practical experience in many “first-of-its-kind” deals and cases, which have contributed to our leading position in the market and have also been recognized by both our clients and the legal industry. Jingtian & Gongcheng has won many acclaim and numerous awards from leading legal publications including Chambers & Partners, The Legal 500, Asian Legal Business, China Law & Practice, China Business Law Journal, IFLR1000, Asialaw Profiles, LEGALBAND, and many more. In 2020, Jingtian & Gongcheng won "Asian Law Firm of the Year" by The Asian Lawyer and “Golden League”, China Business Law Journal's most prestigious award for Chinese law firms. Jingtian & Gongcheng was awarded "China (PRC Firms) Finance Law Firm of the Year" in Chambers Asia-Pacific Awards 2021.

AllBright Law Offices

Firm overview

AllBright Law Offices was founded in 1999 as a full-service law firm committed to providing the highest levels of quality advice to clients.

Based in Shanghai, AllBright has grown, innovated and provided unmatched service throughout a period of continuous economic and political change across China. Our focus on providing excellent advice and support to our clients has led to rapid expansion and we have established branch offices in 21 cities on the Chinese mainland (Hangzhou, Beijing, Shenzhen, Suzhou, Nanjing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Taiyuan, Qingdao, Tianjin, Xiamen, Jinan, Hefei, Zhengzhou, Fuzhou, Nanchang, Xi’an, Guangzhou, Changchun, Wuhan and Urumqi) as well as in Hong Kong, London (UK) and Seattle (USA). In addition, as a result of our increased international presence we have also established an association with the Hong Kong law firm Stevenson, Wong & Co. and a strategic partnership with the Bird & Bird LLP.

AllBright carries on the proud cosmopolitan culture of Shanghai and constantly seeks to bring together established legal professionals and outstanding young talent. In 2018, our team included nearly 2,300 lawyers, which grew to more than 2,800 in 2019, and now stands at over 3,100. This growth is a reflection of the importance we place on driving innovation, creating value for our clients and providing a global service for our clients.

At AllBright, we never stop upgrading and improving our professional legal services, while continuing to optimize our practice area layout. Currently, AllBright has ten major professional committees: Securities and Capital Markets, Banking and Finance, Corporate and M&A, International Trade, Cross-Border Investment, Real Estate and Construction, Intellectual Property, Maritime Affairs，Bankruptcy Liquidation and reorganization, Litigation and Arbitration, Criminal and Tax Law. Each committee continually arranges speakers to address their members, informs members of key global conferences and encourages members to interact with partner firms and companies around the world. In doing so, we aim to achieve the highest levels of professional development within the firm.

T&C Law Firm

Firm overview

Founded in 1986, T&C Law Firm is a prestige full-service law firm based in China, who has been established as a leading domestic elite law firm for its outstanding professional services. T&C has built a strong reputation for excellence in the areas such as business, finance and dispute resolution, both within and outside the legal community. T&C currently has five offices nationwide, located in Hangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Ningbo, which together form an integrated service network.

Dispute resolution is one of T&C’s core practices. As a large-scale comprehensive law firm, T&C has outstanding performance and accumulated skills and experience in litigation and arbitration, and has a strong team in this field. T&C lawyers are familiar with litigation and arbitration systems and procedures, many of them currently have been employed as arbitrators by arbitration centers, including China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC), Shanghai International Arbitration Center (SHIAC), Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration (SCIA), Hangzhou Arbitration Commission and Ningbo Arbitration Commission. The dispute resolution team also works closely with other professional departments to provide clients with comprehensive and professional legal services. T&C is experienced in representing clients in courts, local arbitration institutions, CIETAC, SHIAC and SCIA.

Commerce & Finance Law Offices

Firm overview

We are a leading law firm in China, enhancing our presence in China and extending our global reach. We have offices in major economically active areas in China, including 9 offices in Beijing, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Haikou and Suzhou, and more than 800 legal professionals. Our lawyers have profound professional knowledge, rich practice experience, and forward-looking business thinking, and are committed to providing efficient, accurate, and innovative business solutions.

In more than three decades of development, we have established a remarkable reputation in capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, dispute resolution, banking and finance, new economy, anti-monopoly and competition, investment funds, insolvency and restructuring, compliance and government regulation, labor and employment, taxation and wealth planning, intellectual property, and other fields. Over the years, we have won hundreds of awards from mainstream professional media/associations at home and abroad, and have been on various international appraisal lists. We have received numerous praises in terms of industry influence, market reputation, and client recognition.

Whether designing a new legal framework or setting a new precedent, we have created a number of major projects with wide market influence and adapted to the needs of the times, better served the national strategy, and provided clients with in-depth services across regions, jurisdictions, and the whole industry chain. At the same time, we also have profound insights into the future. By pooling legal service resources, we can explore growth opportunities for clients in diversified exploration, and continue to facilitate the development of the Chinese economy and Chinese enterprises.

Review

Dispute resolution

Dacheng Law Offices

Dacheng Law Offices’ Hangzhou office was founded in 2008 and has since seen significant growth across all areas of practice. With more than 100 lawyers, the litigation team at this full-service branch works across the full spectrum of practice areas, including commercial disputes, international arbitration, government and corporate compliance, administrative litigation, construction and real estate, intellectual property and labour disputes.

The leaders of the team are director Jianwen He and managing partner Wanjun Xu. Both are active in commercial disputes.

The firm hired partner Shoudao Wang from King & Wood Mallesons’ Hangzhou office, and Yan Wang from Guantao Law Firm in Hangzhou. They specialise in construction and international trade, respectively.

East & Concord Partners

The dispute resolution team of East & Concord Partners’ office in Zhejiang is strong in all kinds of commercial litigation and domestic and international commercial arbitration. The firm’s intellectual property practice witnessed an improvement too.

Within the disputes team, many lawyers are senior arbitrators of the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission and other arbitration institutions. Commercial disputes specialist Yanshan Li is a key name in the team.

During the research cycle, the team represented SC Houston, a US subsidiary of Junzheng Group, in an employment dispute brought by the plaintiff, the former president of the company, in which the court dismissed all of the plaintiff's claims and decided it was not re-litigable. The case demonstrated the team's ability in cross-border legal matters. In addition, the team handles cases such as lending disputes, insurance contract disputes, unfair competition disputes, trademark infringement, and construction contract disputes.

Major clients include Bank of Hangzhou Shanghai Branch, Shenzhen Guanghui Petroleum & Marine Group, Zhejiang Energy Group and Zhejiang Hanggang Financial Leasing.

L&H Law Firm

Established in November 1998, L&H Law Firm is a full-service law firm featuring corporate and investment finance practices. The firm's head office is in Hangzhou, with branch offices in Ningbo and Wenzhou, and foreign offices in Silicon Valley, New York and Vancouver.

During the research period, the firm represented a wide range of dispute resolution cases. Among the publishable cases, the firm provided litigation and mediation services for a Rmb450 million ($62 million) contract dispute between the actual controller of a listed company and a large commercial bank; represented a top 500 real estate development company in the Yangtze River Delta region in a loan case involving Rmb70 million; and represented a large bank and a listed company in an infringement lawsuit in Zhejiang.

In construction and real estate, the team provided legal services to a client over the acquisition and purchase of the Hangzhou Crystal City cultural tourism commercial complex project (construction in progress) of China Evergrande Group. In addition, the team provided arbitration legal services to China Chemical Engineering 13th Construction Company and Zhejiang Petrochemical Company in a dispute over a construction contract for construction works.

In 2022, the firm recruited partner Yang Dianding, whose main practice areas are commercial disputes, construction and real estate.

Client feedback

“L&H Law Firm demonstrated effective litigation representation and forward-thinking legal advice in various cases for our company. The firm's efficient approach to litigation and proactive strategies in anticipating issues led to successful results and valuable protection of the company's interests.”

“The firm offers professional legal risk analysis and document drafting services, providing timely responses to issues and feedback on solutions.”

Liang Bu

“Bu Liang has effectively represented the company in various complex cases, resulting in successful outcomes involving significant property vacating and recovery of substantial amounts of rent and costs. The collaboration with Bu Liang has streamlined processes for the company, offering efficient representation, timely feedback on legal matters, and reliable court expertise for strategically handling cases.”

T&C Law Firm

Based in Hangzhou, T&C Law Firm has emerged as a leading legal establishment in Zhejiang province, demonstrating consistent growth and market expansion through strategic development efforts. Boasting a strong team of approximately 400 lawyers and experts, the firm handles a broad range of legal fields such as international trade, real estate, intellectual property and dispute resolution. Known for its expertise in dispute resolution, the firm shines in handling domestic conflicts, international arbitration and foreign-related commercial lawsuits, serving a wide array of industries and legal requirements.

Sun Li holds a significant position at the firm and specialises in commercial disputes, while Leon Fu, an expert in international arbitration, plays a pivotal role in the disputes team, handling commercial and transactions disputes with proficiency.

In recent cases, T&C Law Firm represented notable clients such as Bank of Communications International Trust and ZheShang Bank Hangzhou branch in high-profile disputes, demonstrating expertise in commercial and transactions law. The firm also successfully handled international arbitration cases, including representing GEOX in a complex shareholder dispute with affiliated companies.

Additionally, T&C Law Firm bolstered its team in May 2022 by welcoming Zhan Wei and Chen Chen, former legal directors from Alibaba and, respectively, as senior counsels.

Key clients of the firm include renowned names such as Amazon, General Electric Company, Hyundai Heavy Industries, Alibaba Group, Alipay and Sina Group.

Tian Yuan Law Firm

Tian Yuan Law Firm’s Hangzhou office hosts approximately 10 lawyers and is a boutique firm focused on commercial and IP disputes. Qi Lou is a key name in the Hangzhou office and was the lead partner on several cases during the research period.

In the past 12 months, the team has skilfully managed a diverse portfolio of cases centred around corporate investment and finance, as well as corporate governance disagreements. Lou’s experience spans a variety of contentious issues, such as conflicts regarding investment repurchases, cases involving the detrimental actions of actual controllers towards company interests, and quarrels pertaining to the share-based incentives of top executives. Additionally, his practice has encompassed a significant number of intellectual property disputes, which include matters related to patents, trademarks, copyrights and cases of unfair competition.

Zhong Lun Law Firm

Zhong Lun Law Firm has been enjoying a coveted position as one of the strongest and most in-demand litigation firms in China, and its Hangzhou office continues its strong presence in the local disputes market. With strength in domestic and international litigation, the team regularly represents clients in achieving excellent results in commercial disputes and construction and real estate.

Yueqi Chen, Li Hao and Xinfan Chen are the key names to note.

In 2023, the team represented China Energy Engineering Group Yunnan Electric Power Design Institute Co. in the asset divestiture of the Menghai Photovoltaic Power Station. They also provided legal services to National Energy Shaanxi Hydropower Co. and Gansu Daigusi Electric Power Development Co. in a contentious equity transfer involving a Gansu hydropower station, as well as in related project construction contract disputes. Additionally, they advocated on behalf of Leader Power Equipment (Zhejiang) Co. in a legal challenge concerning the quality stipulations of a sales contract.