 Beijing-based Guantao Law Firm (Guantao) and Shanghai-based Zhongmao Law Firm (Zhongmao) officially announced their merger on April 18, 2016 after a five-year alliance. The Chinese name of the new firm will be 观韬ä¸èŒ‚, while the English name will remain Guantao Law Firm. Cui Liguo, Managing Partner of Guantao will be co-president with Sheng Leiming, Managing Partner of Zhongmao, for the new firm. The merger ceremony and Guantao Zhongmao Financial Law Forum was held in Shanghai.The integration creates a firm with over 100 partners and nearly 500 lawyers. One of the highlights of the merger is the integration of their Shanghai offices. The new Shanghai office brings together the legal teams in Guantao Shanghai office and Zhongmao office, as well as Tian Bo’s legal team from Shanghai Zhonghua and Qian Yewen’s legal team from Shanghai Oushen. The Shanghai branch is now able to advise infrastructure & real estate, M&A, PE & VC, banking & finance, insolvency & restructuring, equity & bond issuance, IP, tendering & bidding and litigation & arbitration. Guantao will further spread its geographic coverage. Currently, it has 14 offices in major cities at home and overseas, such as Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Hong Kong and Sydney. In Hong Kong, it merged with Peter C. Wong, Chow & Chow and localised as a Hong Kong solicitors’ firm under the new name of Guantao & Chow in February 2016. The firm is able to advise both Hong Kong law and the PRC law. As a full service firm, it is also involved in various practice areas such as capital markets; corporate/M&A; restructuring/insolvency; projects, infrastructure & energy; banking & finance; and international trade. |
Guantao merges with Zhongmao
