Yuanda China Law Firm has joined forces with Winston & Strawn after the Shanghai-based law firm ended its strategic alliance with McDermott Will & Emery.
YuandaWinston will focus on intellectual property, international disputes, litigation and arbitration, as well as drawing on Winston’s established capabilities in key growth areas in China such as finance, M&A and private equity.
“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 US- China Trade Agreement,” said John Huang, managing partner of Yuanda.
The YuandaWinston team comprises 47 lawyers and will be led by Tom Fitzgerald and Michael Elkin on the Winston side, and Huang, Kevin Qian, Leon Liu and Michelle Gon on the Yuanda side.
“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 Elkin.
“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.”
Yuanda had been in an alliance with McDermott Will since 2007.