Chinese Business & Litigation

The Chinese Business & Litigation Practice assists clients in successfully navigating the United States legal system. Our client list includes major Chinese insurers, state-owned and privately held companies, Fortune 500 corporations and small to medium sized businesses. We advise and represent our clients on many matters including products liability, intellectual property and technology, international trade disputes, cross-border transactions, marine and admiralty litigation, banking and finance, employment and labor, energy projects, environmental compliance and real estate law.

Our Approach to Business
The practice is composed of a team of preeminent, nationally recognized attorneys who are authorities in their fields, including Chinese nationals who have lived and worked extensively in China. These attorneys have witnessed firsthand the globalization of trade and investment both to and from the United States, and are best suited to help identify your goals, structure your transactions, or protect you from the complicated regulatory rules in the United States.

Many of our attorneys first worked in high-ranking government positions before joining the firm, and we remain extremely involved in government relations. As the largest law firm in Los Angeles, California, Lewis Brisbois has the vast support system of skilled practitioners necessary in order to represent a company’s interests throughout the United States. Our network of offices ensures that clients have both the local savvy and national presence to accomplish their business goals in the United States.

Our Areas of Practice

Products Liability
Our attorneys are recognized as the nation’s preeminent litigators, with vast experience in catastrophic injury, automotive and medical device manufacturing, and nationwide and statewide class actions. We represent electronic manufacturers, chemical companies, food processors, pharmaceutical companies, retail and consumer manufacturers, and manufacturers of tools and industrial machinery. We defend clients throughout Europe and Asia. Our attorneys have the language skills to effectively coordinate with trial teams throughout the world.

Intellectual Property & Technology
Our intellectual property and technology attorneys are leaders in the acquisition, defense, and protection of intellectual property rights and trademark and copyright filings. In keeping with our firm’s reputation in litigation, our attorneys are experienced in patent, copyright, trademark, unfair competition and anti-trust, unfair trade practices, false advertising, franchising, Lanham Act, rights of publicity and trade secret cases. Their administrative proceeding experience includes appearing before the USPTO, the FTC, the Department of Corporations, ITC, United States Copyright Office, and United States Customs. Our attorneys have extensive experience in the preparation and negotiation of agreements relating to the creation, commercialization, licensing, franchising, and transfer of intellectual property rights. They are also proud members of the International Trademark Association.

International Trade & Investment
Our attorneys have tremendous success in dispute settlement proceedings that require a sophisticated level of knowledge concerning various international trade issues. In partnership with the Commercial Litigation Practice, the Chinese Business and Litigation practice has assisted clients in the evolving area of international trade and commerce.

The team also provides legal and policy advice while advocating before foreign and domestic governments for clients navigating the global, regional and bilateral rules of commerce and investment. We partner with lobbyists and other experts in the industry to provide clients with comprehensive advice regarding the implications of international trade for overseas investments, transactions and operations.

Marine & Admiralty
We have extensive litigation and trial experience and are adept at all forms of Alternative Dispute Resolution. We defend clients involved in casualty claims (such as personal injury defense and property damage claims), transactional negotiations and drafting service agreements, ocean transportation contracts (including charter, bill of landing, terminal leases and litigating disputes), cargo damage and loss claims, coverage and bad faith claims for ocean and inland marine risks, government contract disputes, and employers and insurance carriers in matters related to the Longshore and Workers’ Compensation Act.

Banking & Finance
Our banking and finance team provides our clients with knowledge that enables them to manage their business’ financial interests in an ever-changing economic environment. We advise clients in real estate investment, and dealing with financial institutions, borrowers, lenders, and state and federal regulators of financial institutions throughout the United States. Our attorneys are more than able to aid foreign clients in weathering the financial landscape of the United States on a national and local level through utilizing our network of offices throughout the country. We assist our clients in risk management advising, judicial and non-judicial foreclosure actions, enforcement of guarantees, creditors’ rights, real estate loans, commercial real estate cash flows, and loan modifications.

Employment & Labor
Our employment and labor practice represents clients in all phases and types of employment litigation, counseling, training, and collective bargaining. Our team of experienced attorneys across the United States pair state-specific knowledge with national perspective to advise our clients with sound counsel on employment related issues. Our employment and labor attorneys are skilled litigators with highly coordinated communication skills who work tirelessly to effectively communicate with their insurer and business clients, various consultants, and employment law experts to form solutions to address our clients’ needs. Our familiarity with municipal and government law allows us to be with our clients from the commencement of a litigation action through to the appeals process.

Environmental, Water & Energy Law
Lewis Brisbois is one of the national leaders in this field. As China increasingly invests in oil, gas, and energy projects here, we can assist with structuring deals and helping to ensure government approvals and compliance. We also regularly travel to China and can work with Chinese companies on new environmental innovations to reduce air and water pollution. A sub-specialty of the firm is agriculture investment and water management where we have relationships and have worked for the major landowners in the United States.

Real Estate Law
Many Chinese investors are seeking to place funds in properties in the United States particularly in California. We have worked on many large hotel and winery deals, office complexes and housing developments. We can assist with the structuring of private equity investments, financing and EB-5 resources.

Chairs

  • Scott Bartel (Partner) - Scott.Bartel@lewisbrisbois.com, 916.646.8228
  • John Yung (Partner) - John.Yung@lewisbrisbois.com, 916.646.8288
  • Charles Reed (Partner) - Chuck.Reed@lewisbrisbois.com, 404.991.2175

Vice Chairs

  • James Doyle (Partner) - James.Doyle@lewisbrisbois.com, 404.348.8571
  • Hong Lu (Partner) - Hong.Lu@lewisbrisbois.com, 213.599.7808