Experience and stability
Our Shanghai office comprises 2 partners who have developed a significant experience over the whole of China over some 15 years.
Under their supervision, a team of a dozen associates and legal practitioners, either Asian or European enjoy a capacity to operate in all areas of business law in China. An “Asia Desk” in Paris complements this geographical cover.
A bi-cultural team, a long standing professional practice rooted in the knowledge and command of Chinese constraints, as well as the experience of the partners of the Shanghai office are the assets which enable UGGC Avocats to provide to its clients services of international standards on a par with the level of excellence expected by European clients.
The working languages in the office are French, English and Chinese (Mandarin and Shanghainese).
UGGC Avocats also assists the business community in China through its strong involvement with French and European institutions such as the French Foreign Trade Advisor, the European Chamber of Commerce in China as well as the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China.
Proximity and availability
In the way it is organized UGGC Avocats favours territorial proximity as well as a personalized relationship with its clients. Our firm is in position where it can assist foreign companies at each stage of their installation and development in the Chinese market.
UGGC Avocats is also at the service of the business community in China as it is strongly involved in the life of French and European institutions such as Foreign Trade Advisors for France, the European Chamber of Commerce in China and the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China.
Strategy and innovation
Since its installation in Asia, UGGC Avocats has been concerned with innovation in order to adapt to a market in constant development and to maintain high standards of service for its clients.
The partners of UGGC Avocats have taken part in the development and understanding of law in China through their contributions to university and judicial exchanges, thinking processes on the development of law, but also writing papers and articles for specialised publications.
Finally, in a constantly changing judicial landscape, thanks to the contacts it has established at the highest possible level with local authorities, UGGC Avocats can act efficiently, in its clients’ interest, to help deal with the most complex situations.
Competences
UGGC Avocats can provide support to its clients for all their projects in Asia. Moreover, the long standing presence of UGGC Avocats in Asia has enabled us to develop a reliable, structured network of correspondents in Hong-Kong, Seoul and South-East Asia.
International investments – UGGC Avocats assists and advises its clients for their approach of the Chinese market on all aspects of business law, foreign investment and taxation.
Thus, our firm is involved at all stages of its clients’ installation in China, providing them strategic expertise especially on tax location, incorporation of companies (with or without a Chinese partner by way of a joint venture, WFOE (wholly foreign owned enterprise)), creation or setting-up of representation offices or branches and with administrative formalities required for such operations.
Mergers and acquisitions, equity capital transactions – Our firm enjoys a long experience of equity capital transactions in China (e.g. purchase of stakes in companies, acquisition of listed companies either listed or not, capital investments, etc.).
Lawyers of the firm assist their clients at all stages of these transactions (letter of intent, legal and tax audits, acquisition agreement, acquisition funding, shareholders’ agreements, etc.).
Our firm has also formed cooperation partnerships with local auditors, bankers and technicians to carry out full audits prior to such acquisitions.
Intellectual property – The partners enjoy a long experience when it comes to the protection of inventions, trademarks, models, copyrights and know-how both in Europe and Asia and they have provided their support to leading French and European private companies for their transfers of technology.
UGGC Avocats offers fully comprehensive strategies for the creation, defence and development of intellectual property rights in China.
Distribution law – UGGC Avocats assists and advises leading companies developing their businesses in the distribution sector in China, providing support for their installation and assisting them with setting up distribution networks, in the consumer goods sectors as well as in the industrial sector (agency and distribution agreements, licence agreements, procurement agreements, franchises, import and export procedures, setting up sales outlets, obtaining marketing authorizations, customs litigation, etc.).
Tax law – The teams at the Shanghai office, in coordination with the teams at the Paris office, enjoy a perfect command of Chinese and international tax laws, especially when it comes to tax location, tax audits, tax ruling procedures with local authorities, negotiations with tax authorities or also tax optimization schemes.
Labour law – UGGC Avocats enjoys a recognized experience in the settlement of disputes in China, by way of conciliation, mediation, judicial litigation, national or international arbitration.