China

East & Concord Partners offers a comprehensive dispute resolution practice, with particular strength in arbitration. It is active in commercial disputes, notably those arising in the energy, construction and infrastructure, finance and technology and telecommunications sectors. Its team is regularly sought after by both international and domestic enterprises. Managing partner Qi Zhou is prominent in the arbitration scene, often acting as a senior arbitrator at the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission. Chaoyi Ji heads the dispute resolution practice and is active in both litigation and arbitration. The firm represented a China Merchants Capital fund in an arbitration before the Beijing Arbitration Commission against Dalian Wanda Commercial Management Group and its affiliates. 

The firm's commercial disputes practice has acted in three significant matters spanning private equity recovery, cross-border corporate litigation, and international arbitration. The firm acted for a PE fund under China Merchants Capital in a Rmb1.2 billion share repurchase dispute against Dalian Wanda and related entities before the Beijing Arbitration Commission; the team swiftly secured asset preservation measures to create settlement leverage at a time when Wanda's total repurchase exposure ran to tens of billions, and ultimately recovered the entire repurchase price in full — an outcome unmatched among other Wanda investors.  

In a separate matter, the firm acted for Beijing Enterprises Group in defending a profit distribution claim before the Beijing International Commercial Court, a cross-border dispute requiring concurrent application of both BVI and Chinese law; the court dismissed all of the plaintiff's claims in a ruling now regarded as a leading precedent on the application of BVI law by Chinese courts, shielding the client from potential follow-on exposure estimated to exceed Rmb200 million.  

The firm also acted for General Electric Company and Harbin Electric Company Limited in defending a Rmb150 million insurance subrogation claim brought by four of China's largest insurers before an international arbitration tribunal following a large-scale power generation unit failure, with Ji leading all oral submissions in English and the tribunal having declared proceedings closed in December 2024 pending the final award. 

Client feedback 

“East & Concord Parters provides practicable and reliable legal advice and can always react within short timeframe.” – Commercial and transactions 

“In this case, the lawyers from East & Concord Partners noticed that our company lacked key financial documents. They thus proved the reasonableness of our claims by applying for audit and evaluation, researching public cases, and citing the respondent’s financial performance from the previous year (to demonstrate that significant changes should not have occurred in just one year), making an outstanding contribution to our partial success in the arbitration.” – Commercial and transactions 

Chaoyi Li 

“He always provides practical and realiable legal advice to help our company tackle the business challenges.” 

Yingzhi Yang 

"The first and most profound impression lawyer Yang has left on us is that he 'combines a strong sense of responsibility with professional expertise, and excels both in business-oriented practical thinking and judicial dispute resolution methods.' Lawyer Yang is skilled at grounding his approach in factual investigation. With his exceptional comprehension and analytical abilities, he focuses on details to directly identify the core essence of disputes — seeing the whole picture through a single detail — and strives to secure the best possible outcomes for clients. What is even more commendable is that Lawyer Yang always maintains a diligent and humble attitude. Throughout our cooperation, he has continued to learn and develop, consistently providing comprehensive and efficient legal services. We and the other business teams who have collaborated with him trust him deeply, and we regard Lawyer Yang as a long-term partner and friend." 

Haiwen & Partners is one of the earliest domestic law firms in China to engage in foreign and overseas dispute resolution and arbitration. The dispute resolution team consists of more than ten partners and counsels, and over forty professional lawyers. Based in the firm’s office in Beijing, partner Chao Yang has nearly 20 years of experience in dispute resolution, focusing on commercial arbitration and litigation. She specialises in disputes involving investment and financing, capital management, corporate matters, international trade, and Sino-foreign joint ventures.  

In a landmark pharmaceutical patent invalidation, the firm acted for Qilu Pharmaceutical in successfully challenging Eisai R&D Management Co's lenvatinib polymorph patent across successive proceedings before CNIPA, the Beijing Intellectual Property Court, and the Supreme People's Court, which issued a final judgment affirming non-inventiveness and wiping out the last surviving claim; the firm coordinated the invalidation proceedings with parallel infringement litigation to protect Qilu's generic approval timeline, with the Supreme People's Court's ruling establishing precedential guidance on pharmaceutical crystal-form patents and delivering significant commercial impact by clearing Qilu's path to generic lenvatinib market entry and reducing treatment costs for Chinese patients. 

Client feedback 

"In-depth knowledge of their field of expertise, prompt feedback, professional manners, outstanding project management and excellent communications. No surprises in all the controllable aspects.” – Commercial and transactions 

Huijuan Sun 

“Prompt feedback with professional manners in handling sometimes complex issue. We feel that she is a lawyer we can always trust.” 

King & Wood is widely recognised as one of China's leading dispute resolution practices, combining deep technical expertise with an extensive understanding of the markets and industries in which its clients operate, both domestically and across borders. With over 100 partners and more than 400 lawyers, the team is among the largest of its kind in China, bringing over two decades of experience to domestic and cross-border litigation and alternative dispute resolution. The practice covers the full spectrum of dispute resolution services, representing multinational corporations, major state-owned and private enterprises, and financial institutions before courts at all levels, major arbitration institutions worldwide, and administrative agencies across China. Its core strengths span financial and commercial litigation, securities and capital markets disputes, real estate, and cross-border dispute resolution. 

The firm's dispute resolution bench features a number of highly regarded practitioners across its key practice areas. Yue Dai is a specialist in cross-border commercial arbitration and litigation, with a broad portfolio spanning finance, corporate, and data-related disputes across leading institutions including the ICC, HKIAC, CIETAC, and the Supreme People's Court. Ya Peng brings extensive experience in capital markets, corporate M&A, financial leasing, and real estate disputes, and is known for her holistic, business-focused approach to complex and high-profile matters. Yuwu Liu specialises in cross-border arbitration and litigation and has represented clients in proceedings before virtually every major international arbitration institution, with particularly notable experience in multi-jurisdictional disputes. On the government and regulatory side, Wei Wu advises on compliance risk, enterprise crisis management, and civil, commercial, and administrative retrial proceedings across a wide range of industries. Haitao (Harry) Liu is a seasoned criminal defence and compliance practitioner with deep experience handling high-profile investigations and prosecutions in China. Yuanyuan Zhu specialises in integrity and compliance, with particular expertise in representing clients in investigations and sanction proceedings before multilateral development banks, as well as advising multinational companies on FCPA matters alongside US counsel. 

In the area of commercial real estate, the firm acted as counsel for Guangxi Guijian Real Estate Co in enforcement proceedings involving a respondent who had sought to evade enforcement through the use of ostensibly legitimate state-owned asset transactions. The firm successfully challenged the validity of the transaction structure and recovered Rmb50 million yuan that had been transferred away by the respondent, with the client's position upheld through all stages of proceedings up to the Supreme People's Court. The case was recognised as one of the Supreme People's Court's ‘Hundred Outstanding Judgments’ and directly influenced the regulation of enforcement evasion by judicial authorities in China. 

In the field of international arbitration, the firm has been acting as counsel for a central state-owned enterprise contractor since 2022 in a high-value cross-border dispute arising from an iron smelting construction project in Indonesia. The arbitration, being administered at the Singapore International Arbitration Centre, involves claims by both parties exceeding $1.4 billion in total — reflecting the significant scale and complexity of the cross-border construction dispute. 

In the area of government and regulatory, the firm acted as counsel for Postal Savings Bank of China following complaints by a coalition of international non-governmental organisations alleging that the bank had financial links to a flagship Belt and Road Initiative hydropower project in Cambodia that had attracted significant criticism over its environmental and social impacts. A finding against the bank would have exposed it to a lengthy investigation and ongoing public scrutiny with serious consequences for its reputation and financing opportunities. Beyond the immediate outcome, the case produced a broader precedent that has since helped other Chinese enterprises navigate similar compliance obligations. 

Moving onto financial services regulatory, the firm acted as counsel for a securities service provider in one of the most significant securities misrepresentation cases in Chinese legal history, involving financial fraud spanning a decade, claims initially brought by nearly 2,500 investors, and a total claim value of approximately Rmb2.1 billion. The scale and complexity of the proceedings, with over 24 defendants and more than ten court hearings spanning two and a half years, made it an exceptionally challenging matter. The firm secured a complete victory for the client at first instance — a notable outcome given the prevailing tendency in such cases for intermediaries to bear heavy liability — and continues to represent the client in the ongoing second-instance proceedings. The first-instance judgment is widely regarded as a landmark, helping to clarify the boundaries of liability for intermediaries in securities misrepresentation cases and signalling a shift towards more nuanced adjudication in this area of Chinese capital markets law. 

Client feedback 

“They went into details of the case, equipped with good understanding of the subject products, and also very good litigation strategies and skills.” – Banking and financial services 

“They are very strategic. They suggested a clever procedural tactic that had a major substantive effect.  They are very responsive and on top of things.” – Commercial arbitration 

“The firm demonstrates deep familiarity with the regulatory standards and procedures frequently encountered by our company. They are proficient at providing accurate legal counsel. Their responsiveness is exceptional, with the capability to be on-site at a moment's notice to handle urgent situations. Furthermore, the firm shows a strong understanding of our business needs, enabling them to offer practical legal advice that is closely aligned with our commercial objectives.” – Government and regulatory 

Zhuonan Du 

“Excellent at managing a complex case and larger team of lawyers. Very responsive.” 

James Guan 

“Good sense of businesses, ability to navigate complicated issues and provide feasible solutions.” 

Yuanyuan Zhu 

“Zhu demonstrates a keen understanding of the company's needs and expectations, consistently delivering targeted solutions. She provides hands-on legal guidance for critical projects and extends her value beyond strictly legal matters by offering constructive advice on compliance management and enhancing internal coordination to drive projects forward.” 

Dongxia Xia and Ting Yang 

"I wish to express my full recognition and deep trust in Dongxia Xia, Ting Yang, and their team. Their team holds a preeminent reputation in securities litigation in China. The highly professional legal services they provided to us were truly impressive. Throughout our collaboration, the team has demonstrated distinct strengths. Primarily, their exceptional expertise allows for a nuanced analysis of complex issues, assisting us in developing comprehensive, effective, methodical and reasonable litigation strategies. Secondly, they exhibit seamless internal coordination, promptly mobilising specialists from various fields to deliver top-tier legal services. Furthermore, during specific cases, our communication has been highly efficient and smooth. Their proactive and dedicated work ethic are truly impressive. Notably, during routine legal consultations, they always provide prompt, professional feedback tailored to our needs, effectively supporting our operations.” 

Liu Shen & Associates has emerged as a pioneering force in patent prosecution and IP litigation within China's complex legal landscape. Established in 1993, the firm has consistently delivered comprehensive legal services across IP litigation domains, drawing strength from one of the most robust technical litigation teams in the Chinese legal market. The practice specialises in patent and trademark litigation, patent invalidation, trademark administrative proceedings, copyright infringement, and trade secret disputes, serving both domestic and international enterprises with strategic precision. The firm's competitive advantage stems from its exceptional technical understanding and ability to provide nuanced legal strategies that bridge technological complexity with legal interpretation. 

A distinguished partner driving the firm's technical litigation capabilities is Guanyang Yao, who brings nearly 15 years of deep expertise in patent prosecution and litigation. Yao's profound understanding of China's intricate patent legal framework enables the firm to navigate complex intellectual property challenges with exceptional technical acumen and strategic insight. His specialisation in patent law has been instrumental in positioning Liu Shen & Associates as a preeminent IP litigation practice, particularly in cases involving sophisticated technological disputes and cross-border intellectual property conflicts. Yao's approach combines rigorous legal analysis with a comprehensive understanding of technological ecosystems, making him a pivotal figure in the firm's litigation strategy.  

Baohua Law Firm is a boutique firm specialising in labour, employment and HR-related matters, with offices in Shanghai and Suzhou. The firm advises multinational corporations, foreign-invested enterprises and state-owned enterprises on the full range of employment law matters in China, including the establishment of labour and HR management systems, drafting labour contracts and internal regulations, workforce reductions, and labour disputes arising from M&A and corporate restructuring. The firm also handles labour arbitration and litigation, and advises on non-Chinese employment and government policy compliance matters. 

Runqing (John) Dong, a partner admitted in both China and New York, is a key contact with extensive experience in employment advisory, arbitration and litigation, including workforce restructuring in M&A transactions and international commercial arbitration involving Chinese labour law. Jay Chen is also a key contact. 

Top-tier firm Fangda Partners continues to be a frontrunner, singled out for its strong track record and robust presence across the market. The firm focuses on handling high-profile, high-stakes and complex litigation with particular expertise in multi-jurisdictional disputes including international arbitration. The firm also enjoys pre-eminence in the IP, regulatory and insolvency space.  

Key figures in the dispute resolution team include Pu (Alexandra) Yang, Helen Shi, Nuo Ji and Kate Yin who specialise in IP, international arbitration, insolvency and government and regulatory matters respectively. Benjamin Miao, Daniel Huang and Peter Yuen are other key practitioners.  

In commercial and transactions, the firm is representing Xi'an Huahong Investment Partnership in an ongoing Rmb2.6 billion capital increase dispute before the Supreme People's Court against Xi'an High-tech Wanda Plaza Co and two affiliated real estate companies. The case involves alleged collusion with a former Shaanxi provincial party secretary, subsequently imprisoned, who facilitated the undervalued transfer of a state-owned shareholder's equity. After the Shaanxi High People's Court confirmed the resolution's invalidity but refused to restore the commercial registration, the firm took over on appeal, deploying novel strategies including identifying notarisation defects, reporting the state asset transfer to the Supreme People's Procuratorate, and applying to add Shaanxi Coal Group as a third party. 

The firm's intellectual property practice has produced three landmark matters spanning AI, gaming, and navigation software. The firm represents Apple in ongoing patent proceedings before multiple courts against Zhizhen Network Technology over its iRobot patent, a dispute of nearly a decade involving Apple's Siri system across multiple product lines; the second-round lawsuit before the Shanghai High Court seeks Rmb10 billion in damages, the highest IP damages claim ever filed in China. Acting as global lead counsel to Moonton, the firm defended and advanced a multi-jurisdictional series of actions against Tencent and its affiliate Riot Games across six jurisdictions in a dispute over copyright infringement and unfair competition in the mobile MOBA gaming market, with the Shenzhen Intermediate Court conducting over 100 first-instance hearings — unprecedented in Chinese civil litigation history. The firm also represented NavInfo Co in a copyright infringement claim against three Baidu entities found to have used substantially similar navigation software without authorisation; the Beijing Intellectual Property Court awarded Rmb64.5 million in damages, the highest copyright infringement award in China to date, along with an injunction and an order for a public apology. 

On the insolvency front, the firm has handled two significant restructuring matters in the agriculture and consumer goods sectors. As administrator member, the firm led the substantive merger reorganization of Dehong Hogood Coffee Co and 24 affiliated companies, involving debts exceeding Rmb10 billion — the largest restructuring case in Yunnan Province and the first large-scale restructuring in China's coffee industry. Dehong Hogood operates China's first indigenous coffee brand and the only China Famous Trademark in the coffee industry, with the reorganisation affecting over 6,000 creditors and some 5,000 farming households across Yunnan; the court-approved plan achieved full cash repayment for over 98% of creditors. The firm also acts as administrator in the prepackaged reorganisation of listed company Flower King Eco-Engineering (603007) and the consolidation reorganisation of its controlling shareholder Flower King Engineering and four subsidiaries, with combined debts of approximately Rmb6.7 billion. The case marked the first prepackaged reorganization of a convertible bond issuer in China and the first listed company reorganisation in Zhenjiang. 

Client feedback 

“The team demonstrated a high level of professionalism and responsiveness, with defense materials that are well organised, logically robust, and excellently expressed.” – Government and regulatory 

Yanhua Lin 

“Lin possesses strong professional capabilities, underpinned by deep expertise and extensive practical experience. She is able to quickly understand the client’s needs and propose effective and actionable service solutions. Ms. Lin places great emphasis on talent development, maintaining a well-structured team with sufficient talent reserves at different levels of seniority. Each team member performs their role effectively, working together with strong cohesion to form a sound talent pipeline and a collaborative team culture. Her team is capable of delivering a wide range of legal services, including cross-disciplinary complex matters and international legal work.” 

Han Kun Law Offices' dispute resolution practice is renowned for its exceptional quality of work and is frequently sought after for counsel on a range of matters, including commercial disputes, intellectual property issues, antitrust cases, and labour and employment concerns. The firm has garnered particular acclaim for its expertise in handling intellectual property disputes within the telecommunications, healthcare and chemical industries. 

Dong (Eric) Liu, partner and member of the dispute resolution team, is lauded for his work in the commercial and transactions field. IP specialist Yan Wang is also a recognised name. Other key names include Denning Jin, Andy Liao and Yaxing Zhang.  

The firm's cross-border litigation practice secured a landmark outcome in November 2024, when the Shanghai Financial Court, in a ruling subsequently reviewed by the Supreme People's Court, recognized and enforced a Delaware Court of Chancery judgment exceeding $44 million obtained against a Nasdaq-listed biotechnology company in connection with financial misrepresentations and securities fraud. Acting for Value Holdings Capital, a shareholder and investor in the company, the firm led a five-year enforcement effort that produced several historic firsts: the first recognition of a US court judgment by a Chinese court under the principle of legal reciprocity rather than factual reciprocity, the highest-value foreign judgment ever recognized in China, and the first recognition of a foreign judgment in a case involving financial, securities, and capital markets disputes. The matter is ongoing, with the respondent having filed a reconsideration request before the Shanghai High People's Court. 

The firm's intellectual property practice acted as counsel to Jinko Solar Co in five Chinese patent infringement cases brought against LONGi Green Energy Technology Co, two of the dominant forces in the global solar panel market and long-standing competitors across both market share and technological development. The disputes, part of a broader wave of parallel patent litigation initiated by Jinko Solar against LONGi across Australia, Japan, Europe, and China, attracted significant attention across the photovoltaic industry given the scale of the commercial interests at stake. The matter concluded in September 2025 when the two companies announced a worldwide settlement and patent licensing agreement, underscoring both parties' commitment to intellectual property protection and marking a significant moment in the industry's broader transition from price-driven competition toward an era of innovation-led, sustainable growth. 

The firm has strengthened its domestic dispute resolution practice with the hire of three new partners over the past twelve months. David Gu joins from Junhe Law Offices in Beijing, specialising in commercial arbitration and corporate compliance, while Dong Zhang from V&T Law Firm and Eric Zhang from Zhong Lun Law Firm bolster the firm's presence in the Yangtze River Delta and Greater Bay Area respectively, covering financial and investment dispute resolution, real estate and construction litigation, and debt recovery. 

Client feedback 

Yaxing Zhang 

“Zhang brings a high level of professionalism and substantial practical experience to the fields of litigation and arbitration. He has an exceptional ability to handle significant and intricate cases for our company, in addition to being well-versed in corporate bankruptcy and liquidation cases. Apart from his commercial work, he diligently serves the public good by offering legal assistance to disadvantaged individuals, achieving commendable social outcomes.” 

Hui Ye Law Firm focuses on cross-border commercial disputes and has built a strong practice in this area. Through its Hui Ye International Commercial Dispute Resolution Committee, the firm handles equity disputes, investment disputes, and a range of commercial cases for multinational corporations and state-owned enterprises at arbitration institutions domestically and internationally. 

The dispute resolution team includes experienced professionals with significant expertise in arbitration and litigation. Key partners such as Dong Wu, Frank Ji, Chuanbao Zang, Sean Yuan, and Qingsong Wei serve as arbitrators for institutions including CIETAC, HKIAC, and local arbitration commissions. Cheng Chen focuses on cross-border disputes, including international contracts and equity cases, at SIAC, CIETAC, and other arbitration centres. Steven Zhou, Rocky Ding, and Zhicheng Pan work on foreign-related commercial disputes, employing arbitration, litigation, and non-litigation approaches.  

The firm's restructuring and insolvency practice has handled two significant matters in recent years. In the ongoing bankruptcy liquidation of Shanghai FEI Qiu Valve Co, a Rmb230 million case complicated by potentially invalid collateral agreements and affiliated company disputes, the firm was appointed as administrator and successfully steered all parties toward a consensus on asset-based settlement, with the case now progressing through the asset assessment stage. Separately, the firm acted as administrator in the bankruptcy reorganisation of Shanghai Xiangfa Dangerous Goods Shipping Storage Co, a major Shanghai case involving debts exceeding Rmb450 million, where the withdrawal of prospective investors following criminal allegations against the debtor's legal representative necessitated a strategic pivot from external investment recruitment to internal debt-to-equity conversion. By leveraging the debtor's rare inland waterway transportation and hazardous chemicals permits as the basis for reorganisation, the firm successfully restructured the company and preserved its operations, with the case subsequently recognised as a typical case by both the Supreme People's Court and the Shanghai Bankruptcy Court in 2020. 

Key clients include Deve, Shanghai Green Light Education Training Co, Shanghai Haikang Pharmaceutical Tech and Shanghai Cheexpress Car Rental Co. 

Jingtian & Gongcheng’s dispute resolution team is highly regarded for its strength in contentious work, focusing on both domestic and international disputes. The practice handles corporate, regulatory, securities, intellectual property, and insolvency disputes for a wide range of clients, including state-owned enterprises, financial institutions, and foreign corporations. The team also has significant expertise in arbitration, representing clients in complex cases before major domestic and international arbitration bodies such as CIETAC, BAC, HKIAC, SIAC, and the ICC. Its work spans a variety of sectors, including trade, investment, banking and finance, real estate, construction, energy, and intellectual property. 

Chungang Dong, a Beijing-based partner and co-head of the firm’s dispute resolution practice, is a key figure in this area. Qualified to practice in both China and the United States, Dong has represented clients in hundreds of lawsuits before all levels of PRC courts. His cases cover a wide range of substantive areas, such as trade, investment, banking and finance, real estate, construction, energy, product liability, and intellectual property. Other key names include IP specialist Ye Zhao and government and regulatory practitioner Siyuan Liu.  

The firm's commercial dispute resolution practice has handled three significant matters spanning securities litigation, financial preservation, and arbitration challenges. Most notably, the firm represents Tebon Securities in a pioneering Rmb1.14 billion right of recovery lawsuit arising from the Wuyang Bond default; after Tebon Securities assumed a disproportionate share of joint liability in the underlying representative litigation, the firm initiated the first internal recovery action between co-liable intermediaries in a Chinese securities misrepresentation case. Separately, the firm acted for China Minsheng Trust in a Rmb300 million financial loan dispute before the Beijing Financial Court, securing pre-litigation asset preservation among the court's first such applications, successfully freezing the debtor's accounts and equity interests and facilitating a full settlement with interest priority. The firm also represented Zhongxing Tianheng Energy Technology in successfully challenging an arbitration agreement's validity before the Beijing Fourth Intermediate People's Court in a dispute exceeding Rmb1.2 billion, with the ruling affirmed by the Supreme People's Court and resulting in the creditor withdrawing all arbitration claims, a rare outcome representing only 0.15% of such applications before that court in 2021. 

The firm's intellectual property practice has handled several high-profile standard-essential patent disputes involving globally renowned technology companies. The firm represented OPPO in a multi-jurisdictional SEP licensing dispute against Panasonic, which had filed patent infringement claims across Germany, the UK, the Unified Patent Court of Europe, and China; the firm's support of OPPO's counter-claims under FRAND principles and its request for Chinese courts to set licensing rates contributed to the parties reaching a global patent cross-license agreement in January 2025, resolving all pending disputes. In a related matter, the firm represented OnePlus, an OPPO affiliate, in a landmark Supreme People's Court SEP case involving Rmb24 million in claimed damages, which produced China's first comprehensive adjudication standards for FRAND licensing rates, including frameworks for selecting comparable agreements and calculating actual losses. The firm also assisted Huawei in defending four patents against Amazon's invalidity challenges before CNIPA while pursuing infringement claims over Amazon's Kindle and tablet products, securing a settlement in February 2024, with the jurisdictional objection selected for the Supreme People's Court's Judgment Abstract Digest for 2023. 

Client feedback 

"They provide clear, practical legal advice with strong expertise." – Commercial and transactions 

"They have a strong grasp of financial operations and can clearly explain complex issues such as financial transactions and deal structures from a legal perspective. They effectively demonstrated to the arbitral tribunal the rights and obligations of all parties involved at each stage of the financial operations, which significantly aided the tribunal in making well-founded legal judgments." – Commercial and transactions 

"Their suggestions have been useful in helping us achieve our goals in the cases, and they have also provided very good documentary work." – International arbitration 

Feng Wang 

"Feng Wang is highly professional and consistently delivers clear, practical legal advice." 

Guanglei Zhang 

"Zhang possesses strong analytical and negotiation skills, is highly professional in law, and is an excellent communicator; clear, persuasive, and attentive to our needs." 

Jun Zhao 

"With extensive work experience and a solid track record in legal practice, he possesses distinct advantages in dispute resolution matters. His analytical approach is particularly clear and effective in handling complex cases." 

Commerce & Finance Law Offices is active in key areas of dispute resolution, especially commercial litigation. The dispute resolution team comprises nearly 100 lawyers with 20 partners. Hongji Li heads the dispute resolution team and focuses on complex commercial litigation and international arbitration. Other key names in the team include Jialu Wang and Qiang Cui. 

The firm's real estate litigation practice has recently handled several high-stakes disputes spanning the full complexity of China's property sector. In the most prominent, the firm represents Jiangsu Sugang Group as defendant in what is widely regarded as the largest civil litigation case by claim value in PRC history, a Rmb10.044 billion infringement action before the Jiangsu High People's Court, in which the firm successfully drove a government-led remediation process that reduced the client's total exposure to Rmb300 million and positioned it for full exemption from liability. In a separate matter concluded in October 2024, the firm represented Harvest Capital and its subsidiary Beijing Jiuju Changxin in unwinding a regulatory challenge to a "Trust + Lease" structure for a collective leasing housing project in Beijing's Shijingshan District, negotiating the full dismantlement of the transaction and refund of all tenant funds within the government's mandated timeline, without any party bearing compensation liability, thereby eliminating significant administrative and civil risk for the client. In a third matter also concluded in October 2024, the firm successfully defended Hangzhou Rongxiaoyucheng in a Rmb450 million claim brought by a joint venture partner seeking capital contributions and contractual penalties, persuading the courts at both the first and second instance levels that a fundamental breakdown in the cooperation required dissolution and liquidation before any repayment obligations could arise, shielding the client from approximately Rmb400 million in potential losses. 

The firm's financial services and regulatory practice has recently advised on a series of consequential matters at the intersection of capital markets, data governance, and securities litigation. In the data compliance space, the firm provided end-to-end IPO data compliance services for Guangzhou Innogen Pharmaceutical Group ahead of its Hong Kong listing, navigating China's layered data regulatory framework, including the Cybersecurity Law, Data Security Law, and Human Genetic Resources Regulations, to deliver a bespoke data classification system, cross-border transfer standard contracts, and prospectus disclosure recommendations, establishing a practical compliance paradigm for the biopharmaceutical sector. In a parallel matter, the firm advised WeRide, a leading autonomous driving technology company, on comprehensive data compliance and overseas listing readiness, designing a tailored compliance framework that addressed the rapidly evolving regulatory environment for automotive data and met the standards required for the company's successful public listing. On the litigation front, the firm represents Zhongtai Securities Co as defendant in the first securities representative lawsuit accepted by the Beijing Financial Court, a Rmb6.3 billion claim brought by investors in connection with LeEco's decade-long financial fraud and subsequent delisting. The firm secured a complete first-instance victory, with Zhongtai Securities bearing no liability, in a case recognized as one of China's top ten commercial law events of 2023 and expected to have lasting influence on the judicial treatment of securities false statement cases across the A-share market. 

Key clients include Shanghai Lupu Investment Management Group, Shanghai Luxiang Fund Sale Co and Shenzhen Runwu Venture Capital Co. 

The firm has significantly expanded its dispute resolution and related practices with the hire of eighteen new partners over the past twelve months. The largest cohort arrives from Tiance Law Firm (Shenzhen), comprising Haobo Zeng, Yating He, Xin Qi, Jian Kang, and Haizhou Yang. Two further partners join from Jincheng Tongda & Neal, Yonggao Wu and Chunlei Xian, while Lingling Zhong joins from Shanghai Jinmao Kaide (Beijing), Xue Han from Heju Law Firm, Chi Ho Kwan from Jingtian & Gongcheng, and Hua Wu from Sichuan Jufan Law Firm. The firm has also welcomed Jun Liao, Fengjie Shi, Xiaoping Li, Fangwei Yu, Xin Chen, Yipin Zhang, and Wenjia Zhou, collectively reinforcing its capabilities across civil and commercial litigation, criminal law, intellectual property, international arbitration, and real estate disputes. 

Client feedback 

“Commerce & Finance Law Offices stands out in many aspects, such as the analysis and design of recovery plans, and the research and resolution of complex legal issues. The firm has previously assisted us in resolving a debt default case involving a major central enterprise, achieving favourable results, and possesses rich experience in handling significant cases." – Commercial and transactions 

Qiang Cui 

“Lawyer Cui Qiang's personal capabilities and his ability to coordinate resources across the law firm are truly impressive. As our legal representative, he has always devoted himself wholeheartedly to the cases he handles. Not only does he work with extremely high efficiency, but he has also secured favourable outcomes in all cases. When dealing with cases with special requirements, he can also coordinate resources from the entire firm to achieve the goals of serving us. He is an excellent cooperative partner of ours.” 

Chinese dispute powerhouse Zhong Lun Law Firm dominates the litigation space with its solid experience in handling a wide range of domestic and overseas litigation and arbitration matters. The firm’s litigation bench is stocked top-to-bottom with talent ranging from senior statesmen to up-and-comers, all of whom elicit praise from peers and appreciation from clients. Its practitioners have expertise spanning a range of industries including banking and financial services, energy, real estate and manufacturing. Prominently active in significant cross-border dispute cases, the firm is also known to have appeared in the largest number of cases before the Supreme People’s Court of China. It also provides a top-tier international arbitration service seated across the globe.  

Prominent figures include commercial disputes star Lijun Cao, insolvency lawyer Shengfeng Xu, regulatory expert Gary Gao, international arbitration specialist Huawei Sun, employment focused Carol Zhu and construction lawyer Yueping Zhou. Other notable lawyers include Changyu Fu, Baosheng Zhang and Wei Bao.  

Across its banking and finance practice, the firm has handled two landmark matters representing some of China's most complex financial disputes. Acting for the Beijing Branch of China Great Wall Asset Management, the firm pursued recovery of approximately USD241.43 million in distressed debts from Evergrande Real Estate Group through extensive asset investigation and more than 40 rounds of negotiations, ultimately securing a debt-offsetting plan and completing the first batch of property transfers by mid-2024. Separately, the firm represents Ping An Securities in defending against claims exceeding Rmb6.531 billion arising from Leshi Internet's fraudulent issuance, the largest securities misrepresentation litigation by claim amount in China to date, with the first-instance judgment ordering Ping An Securities to bear only 10% joint liability and making it the first case where a sponsor was not held fully jointly liable. 

Beyond its financial dispute work, the firm acted as counsel to EDP Renewables (Shanghai) in a sales contract dispute seeking recovery of outstanding payments and fees totalling Rmb1.87 million against two construction and energy companies, along with joint and several liability against the debtor's sole shareholder. Despite procedural complexities including the addition of a third-party mid-trial, the Changning District People's Court of Shanghai rendered a judgment in full support of the client's core claims. 

The firm's financial services regulatory practice has been equally prominent, handling three landmark transactions and matters of significant national impact. The firm represented Dongxing Securities in responding to a CSRC investigation arising from Essence Information Technology's fraudulent IPO, achieving China's first-ever securities special representative lawsuit settlement and securing termination of the CSRC's investigation in April 2025, with the case named one of the Supreme People's Court's Top Ten Cases of 2024. The firm also advised Guangzhou Automobile Group Finance Leasing in a Rmb2.13 billion transaction marking the first introduction of a foreign strategic investor into a state-owned financial leasing enterprise under the new National Financial Regulatory Administration framework. Additionally, the firm acted for Payoneer in its Rmb550 million acquisition of Easylink Payment, the first successful foreign acquisition of a licensed Chinese payment institution, securing regulatory approval in under six months. 

Complementing its financial services work, the firm's insolvency practice has handled three significant matters. Appointed as administrator in August 2024, the firm led the reorganization of two Evergrande automotive subsidiaries carrying combined debts of nearly Rmb12.87 billion, with both plans approved with near-unanimous creditor support and concluded in July 2025. The firm also successfully defended Wonders Information against a Rmb280 million clawback claim by persuading the court to apply securities law protections for minority investors over standard bankruptcy provisions. The firm additionally acted as administrator in the substantive merger and settlement of 33 Haihui Group companies with debts exceeding Rmb16 billion, currently in its execution stage. 

Rounding out its dispute resolution capabilities, the firm's intellectual property practice has handled three notable matters. The firm represented Alipay against developers of a fraudulent app that simulated Alipay's interface, securing a preliminary injunction and a full favourable judgment awarding Rmb5.15 million, establishing a landmark precedent that injunctions can be granted even where a defendant has temporarily ceased infringing conduct. The firm also represented Gbxf Silicones at the Supreme People's Court, securing punitive damages of Rmb22 million that had been wrongly denied at first instance, with the judgment published as a typical case in the court's 2024 IP ruling principles collection. Additionally, the firm represents InterDigital in ongoing patent administrative litigation against OPPO, defending the validity of core mobile communications SEPs across multiple invalidation proceedings.The firm recently experienced several notable changes within its team. Yueping (Cindy) Zhou, a partner, departed the firm. In June 2024, Haijun Zhang joined as a partner, bringing expertise in litigation and arbitration, construction and project development, and debt restructuring and non-performing assets. In March 2024, Xiongxin Xie and Wen Dai were promoted to senior counsel, both specialising in litigation and arbitration, as well as construction and project development. Xiongxin also focuses on debt restructuring and non-performing assets. 

The firm has made a series of significant lateral hires over the past twelve months, reinforcing its capabilities across dispute resolution, insolvency, capital markets, and intellectual property. On the dispute resolution and insolvency front, Tao Jiang joined as regional partner in September 2025, bringing expertise in corporate and commercial crime, litigation, and cross-border investment; Shumei Liang joined as regional partner in June 2025, focusing on litigation, arbitration, and investment; Feng Wu joined as partner in June 2025, specialising in bankruptcy, insolvency, and debt restructuring; and Li Yang joined as Partner, covering bankruptcy, insolvency, investment, and corporate crime. In intellectual property, Dongwei Yan joined as equity partner in August 2025 from Yingke Law Firm (Nanjing), bringing expertise in IP licensing, enforcement, and commercial dispute resolution. Rounding out the firm's recent additions, Renee Xiong joined as international partner, focusing on Hong Kong and overseas capital markets, debt restructuring, and investment; Gary Li joined as partner, covering private equity, cross-border M&A, and debt restructuring; and Joey Peng joined as non-equity partner in September 2025, focusing on Chinese mainland capital markets and construction. No notable departures were recorded during the period. 

Client feedback 

"Professional, understands the needs of the client, and communicates well." – Insolvency 

"Zhong Lun has a very experienced leadership team and recruits from the top graduates in the PRC. They run cases in a highly professional manner, with close attention to the facts, the law, and the client's requirements, in a manner designed to appeal to the tribunal." – International arbitration 

"Zhong Lun worked well as part of a team defending a substantial claim, including obtaining evidence, drafting pleadings and witness statements, and participating in cross-examination." – International arbitration 

Gary Gao 

"Gary Gao is an expert in his field and one of China's most experienced lawyers; a top-quality lawyer with a wealth of experience and well-versed in cross-border matters." 

Ruixuan (Robert) Li 

"He is very responsive and knowledgeable. His expertise and experience in securities litigation are excellent. He manages his team well and together they turn around high-quality advice and work product in a short period of time. He is fluent in English, and his ability to deliver accurate, substantive advice in English has been particularly useful." 

Nafisa Nihmat 

"Good communication, quite a good team, and actively provides suggestions." 

Huawei Sun 

"Huawei is one of the top talents at the international arbitration bar in the PRC. She is highly intelligent, has a great sense of how to run all aspects of a case, and is a strong cross-examiner." 

"An excellent approach to teamwork, very good use of junior lawyers, receptive to the ideas of others, punctual in meeting deadlines, sensitive to the needs of clients, and an excellent trial advocate." 

Nelly Zhang 

"We had difficulty closing this dormant subsidiary in China. The legal team led by Nelly Zhang was not only professional and reassuring, but their advice was also commercially practicable and comprehensive. Throughout this period, they kept us promptly updated on developments and progress. We finally closed this subsidiary in April 2025 after almost 17 months. It was very helpful that the team is effectively bilingual and was able to communicate with our local and Singapore teams."  

Baosheng Zhang and Ruixuan Li 

"The Zhong Lun team, led by partners Baosheng Zhang and Ruixuan Li, is user-friendly and knowledgeable. They are market leaders in the area of securities litigation and regulatory investigations. In addition, they are very responsive and efficient, while maintaining consistently high quality in their advice and work product. The team is also able to produce good-quality bilingual advice and documents, which is handy for in-house counsel in an international financial institution."