Allen & Overy and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer are among a handful of UK firms to win spots on The Chinese Ministry of Commerce’s (Mofcom) new legal panel.
Having undertaken a complete reshuffle of its go-to law firms, Mofcom has handed first-time places to nine international law firms on its expanded international investment panel, with four dropping off.
Freshfields and A&O were the two Magic Circle firms to make the international investment panel, reviewed for the first time since Mofcom formed its first formal legal roster in 2013. Other new firms to this panel include Hogan Lovells, Shearman & Sterling, Vinson & Elkins, Curtis Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle and Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman.
The international investment panel is one of four sub-panels which also include; world trade organisation and regional trade agreement dispute resolution, trade remedies and trade barrier investigations.
Less fortunate was Herbert Smith Freehills, which has come off the panel just two years after winning a position, and US firms Dechert, Arnold & Porter and Squire Sanders. Mayer Brown, which made Mofcom’s World Trade Organization and regional trade agreement disputes panel two years ago also lost his place.
Hong Kong-headquartered King & Wood Mallesons secured a repeat appointment, with while Steptoe & Johnson, Sidley Austin, Dentons, Baker & McKenzie and Jones Day also kept their positions on the panel.
Fifteen Chinese law firms were chosen to provide legal advice on international investment treaty negotiation, foreign investment and international investment disputes. Zhong Lun, King & Wood Mallesons, JT & N, Huanzhong, AllBright, Fangda, DeHeng, Grandall, Han Kun, Lan Tai and Zhuo Wei were all selected.
Fen Xun, which earlier this year sealed a deal with Baker & McKenzie to allow the international firm to practise Chinese law through a joint venture in Shanghai, and new Dentons partner Dacheng also secured spots. Jun He, one of Slaughter and May’s best-friend firms, also was appointed.
Access the full list on Mofcom’s website here.
tom.moore@legalease.co.uk
Foreign firms on the international investment legal affairs sub-panel
Shearman & Sterling
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Allen & Overy
Steptoe & Johnson
Sidley Austin
Hogan Lovells
Dentons
Baker & Mckenzie
King & Wood Mallesons
Vinson & Elkins
Curtis, Mallet-Prevost,Colt & Mosle
Bennett Jones
Jones Day
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman
Mannheimer Swartling Advokatbyr
Foreign firms on the trade barrier investigations sub-panel
Covington & Burling
Adduci, Mastriani & Schaumberg
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe
Alston & Bird
Steptoe & Johnson
Perkins Coie
Sidley Austin
Goodwin Procter
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius
Hogan Lovells
Foreign firms on the WTO and regional trade agreements sub-panel
Sidley Austin
Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle
Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan
Steptoe & Johnson
Holman Fenwick Willan
Jones Day
Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld
Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr
Morris, Manning & Martin
Van Bael & Bellis
Dentons
Hogan Lovells
VVGB Advocaten
Perkins Coie
Bennett Jones
Foreign firms on the trade remedies sub-panel
Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle
Grunfeld, Desiderio, Lebowitz, Silverman & Klestadt
Perkins Coie
Morris, Manning & Martin
Steptoe & Johnson
Baker & Mckenzie
Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer, & Feld
Alston & Bird
VVGB Advocaten
Lakshmikumanran & Sridharan
Van Bael & Bellis
Holman Fenwick Willan
Dentons
Bennett Jones
Moulis Legal
Lakshmikumanran & Sridharan
Dua Associates
Hanafiah Ponggawa & Partners
Noronha Advogados
Uno Trade-Estrategistas de Comercio International
