BEIJING and HONG KONG – April 9, 2019 – Nationally recognized law firm, Jingtian & Gongcheng (“Jingtian”), today announced that it has entered into a merger with L&C Legal LLP (“L&C”) effective April 30, 2019. As part of a broader initiative, this solidifies its capabilities through the provision of Hong Kong legal advice and through deeper bench strength with senior lawyers from renowned international law firms. The merged entity will be renamed “Jingtian & Gongcheng LLP” in Hong Kong and will continue to deliver leading-edge, pragmatic legal advice to its clients.
In September 2018, Jingtian & Gongcheng’s Hong Kong office established a formal association with L&C to provide seamless, cross-border, legal services and to create value for its clients through creativity and innovation. Primarily due to the success of that arrangement, the next, natural evolution was to launch a fully-integrated entity to direct more focus and resources in enhancing client service.
“This merger represents a significant milestone for our firm,” noted Zhao Yang, Chairman of Jingtian & Gongcheng. “We have a firmly-established reputation and proven track record in China and one of our strategic imperatives involves enhancing our competitive advantage in overseas capital markets. This is crucial to our success given the evolving needs of the many Chinese and foreign clients we work with, as well as increasing competition from other elite international law firms. L&C comprises highly capable partners whom we have a long history working with and who bring to bear a broad range of experience gained from global law firms. Not only does this increase the value we create for our clients by being able to advise on Hong Kong law directly, but it also provides us with the ability to deliver deeper commercial and market insight, and a broader perspective of potential legal risks in business transactions, than we were able to previously.”
With the completion of the merger, Jingtian & Gongcheng joins an elite group of Chinese law firms with their own dedicated presence in Hong Kong. Among PRC law firms, Jingtian’s competitive advantage remains its top-tier position and practical experience in the areas of capital markets and M&A, as well as its continued involvement in numerous landmark IPOs, debt deals, and M&A transactions.
L&C partners Elaine Lo, Nicholas Chan, Li Fai, Stephen Luo, Stella Yeung, and Alfred Li will join the merged entity on April 30, 2019.
Elaine Lo, Senior Partner of L&C, previously served as the Senior Partner and Asia Chair of an international law firm, in addition to serving as a member of its Global Management Committee from January 2008 to May 2016. She focuses on foreign direct investment into China, cross-border mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, infrastructure financing, and corporate restructuring.
Ms. Lo commented, “We are thrilled to join Jingtian & Gongcheng and further their expansion into the Hong Kong market. As a leading, Red Circle firm, Jingtian maintains an outstanding reputation and record of performance. Nowhere is this clearer than in their ongoing involvement in a vast number of innovative, ground breaking, and complex deals. I know that I share our partners’ enthusiasm and commitment to joining the next chapter of their growth.”
The merger further expands Jingtian’s geographic coverage with offices strategically located in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Tianjin and Nanjing, providing full coverage across China’s primary economic centers.
ABOUT JINGTIAN & GONGCHENG
Founded in 1992, Jingtian & Gongcheng is one of the first private and independent partnership law firms in China that has also been recognized as a leading, “Red Circle” law firm by the industry. With over 108 partners and over 200 practicing lawyers, we are fully committed to the success of our Chinese and international clients and remain dedicated to providing high-quality, pragmatic, commercial legal services. Jingtian & Gongcheng has earned an outstanding reputation and remains one of the top-tier, full-service law firms with in-depth market knowledge on China-related transactions and disputes.
As one of the earliest PRC law firms approved by Chinese regulators to practice in capital markets and securities, we have advised hundreds of domestic and international companies on a vast number of deals and complex and innovative securities transactions listed on stock exchanges in Australia, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, London, New York, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Tokyo, and Toronto.
Jingtian & Gongcheng’s offices are strategically located in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Hong Kong, Tianjin and Nanjing, providing full coverage across China’s primary economic centers.
For further information, please visit our website at http://www.jingtian.com/