Winston & Strawn And Yuanda China Law Firm Expand Services In China And Global Markets With Strategic Alliance

YuandaWinston to Serve Rapidly Growing Demand for Legal Services Among Multinationals and Chinese Companies in Mainland China

News provided by

Winston & Strawn LLP

Jun 24, 2020, 10:30 ET

CHICAGO and SHANGHAI, June 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- International law firm Winston & Strawn LLP and China law firm Yuanda today announced they are forming a Strategic Alliance that will significantly expand the firms' combined capabilities in China and key global markets. Based in Shanghai, the Strategic Alliance will be known as YuandaWinston and will provide a comprehensive range of legal services and counsel to Chinese companies and multinationals conducting business in a complex, rapidly changing economy.

The two firms combine first-hand knowledge of China's legal, political and regulatory environment. Together, they have a global platform and deep experience in areas of particular importance for Chinese entities and global companies doing business in China including intellectual property, international disputes, litigation and arbitration. The team will also draw on Winston's established capabilities in key growth areas in China including finance, M&A and private equity, utilizing integrated, cross-border teams in the U.S., London, Hong Kong and China.

"Yuanda is well known as a premier firm in China. Their reputation for excellence in client service and their knowledge and experience in key areas of the law in China is second to none," said Tom Fitzgerald, Chairman, Winston & Strawn. "We are delighted to work with a firm that shares our core values of collaboration and teamwork, and are excited to bring this expanded set of capabilities to our clients. This strategic alliance with Yuanda China Law is consistent with Winston's long-term strategy to expand our services to clients in mainland China."

The YuandaWinston team is comprised of 47 attorneys, many with prior experience in roles throughout China's judiciary, prosecutor's offices, government agencies and general counsels from large corporations. The team's knowledge of China's complex legal environment helps clients navigate regulatory complexity, cross border transactions and investigations, minimize risk and successfully engage with government agencies. The team also represents Chinese and foreign corporations on strategic acquisitions, divestitures, data protection and in matters related to various practices and industries.

"Winston's reputation as a trial firm and its core strengths in IP, international trade, merger and acquisition, and litigation will provide immediate value to our clients in mainland China, as they seek opportunities in global markets and react to a changing regulatory environment - particularly as we continue to see the impact of the new U.S.- China Trade Agreement," said John Z.L. Huang, Managing Partner, Yuanda. "YuandaWinston will be able to deliver comprehensive and seamless services to our clients, with the collaborative, team-based approach that has long been a hallmark of both firms."

"The social and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and initial plans for business recovery have significantly increased the complexity of legal issues facing both Chinese companies and multinationals operating in China," said Michael Elkin, Vice Chairman at Winston & Strawn. "The formation of YuandaWinston will provide critical guidance for companies navigating complex cross-border litigation and interactions with capital markets in a recovering global marketplace. The alliance speaks to our respective strengths, and we look forward to helping our clients achieve greater growth and stability in this rapidly evolving market."

YuandaWinston Firm Leadership

Tom Fitzgerald, Chairman, Winston & Strawn LLP. Tom is Winston & Strawn's chairman and leads the firm's Executive Committee. For more than a decade, he has led the firm's management team and developed and implemented strategies for growth and profitability. During his tenure the firm has opened ten additional offices on three continents and significantly expanded its practice offerings. Tom coordinates the firm's acquisition of new talent, leads client development and feedback initiatives, and manages the firm's operations across the world. Prior to serving as managing partner, Tom concentrated his practice on taxation matters for both publicly and privately held corporations.

Michael Elkin, Vice Chairman, Winston & Strawn LLP. A widely recognized trial lawyer, Michael is known for his precedent-setting wins in "bet-the-industry" intellectual property disputes involving the streaming of motion picture, television, and music properties. His matters are frequently at the core of disputes arising from a digital media evolution that intersects at the crossroads of Silicon Valley and Hollywood. This winning experience has made him "the go-to litigator in new media law in the country" (The American Lawyer) and the "go-to attorney in digital copyright cases" (Chambers USA).

John Z.L. Huang, Managing Partner and co-founder of YuandaWinston. John focuses his practice on creating practical, comprehensive solutions for a diverse array of multinational corporate clients in China. He has been recognized by Chambers Asia-Pacific as an "eminent practitioner" who has "a wealth of experience representing multinational clients in internal and compliance investigations." For more than 20 years, John has handled numerous landmark cross-border transactions and disputes for Fortune 500 companies and globally known Chinese enterprises.

Michelle Gon, Winston & Strawn LLP partner and co-founder of YuandaWinston. Michelle's practice focuses on compliance and regulatory matters, including anti-corruption, unfair competition, anti-monopoly and anti-fraud representations. Michelle has extensive experience handling international transactions in a wide spectrum of industries across China, Taiwan, and the United States. With her long term, on-the-ground experience of doing business both within and outside China, Michelle provides practical advice to clients on complex legal issues and often assumes the role of external general counsel for various Multi-National Companies (MNCs).

Leon Liu, partner and co-founder of YuandaWinston. A former prosecutor in China, Leon has more than 15 years of experience prosecuting, investigating, and defending corporate misconduct and white-collar crimes, having assisted numerous Fortune 500 companies faced with complicated regulatory challenges in China. Chambers Asia-Pacific described him as "widely respected for his deft handling of complex cross-jurisdictional investigations and FCPA cases."

Kevin Qian, partner and co-founder of YuandaWinston. Kevin focuses his practice on advising international companies on their direct investments in China, and representing Chinese companies and High Net-Worth Individuals investing in foreign countries. Widely recognized as a leading corporate lawyer in China, Kevin combines his legal skills and in-house experience at two Fortune Global 500 companies.

About YuandaWinston

Yuanda China Law's strategic alliance with Winston & Strawn, LLP provides comprehensive services to companies in China and global entities with interests in China. The firm leverages comprehensive global industry and practice capabilities with a deep understanding of China's increasingly complex legal environment to counsel clients across industries on a range of transactional and litigation matters, including regulatory, risk and compliance issues.

About Yuanda China Law Firm is a China-licensed law firm with all attorneys certified to practice law in the People's Republic of China. Collectively, Yuanda attorneys have decades of experience in Chinese law and at government agencies, navigating a diverse range of transactional issues including global trade, regulation, litigation, M&A and China's engagement with capital markets.

About Winston & Strawn

Throughout its more than 160-year history, Winston & Strawn LLP has handled a broad range of significant, high-profile matters for its clients – from patent litigation to cross-border mergers, energy transactions and complex commercial disputes. The firm has grown through a series of mergers, office openings, and lateral hires that have resulted in a global law firm with nearly 1,000 attorneys across the United States, Europe, and Asia. The firm has offices in Brussels, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Shanghai, Silicon Valley and Washington, D.C.