Cross-border legal intelligence · China & the world
Four decades of practice, much of it spent receiving legal advice rather than giving it, and what that changes.
When a company genuinely needs outside counsel, and why you do not hire a law firm but lawyers.
Why an annual retainer is better understood as risk management than as a pricing mechanism.
AI can accelerate research into Chinese law, but a correct memorandum does not guarantee a completed transaction. Peter Pang examines the role of local legal judgment, lawful engagement with authorities, and regulatory coordination—and why relationships must always remain within legal limits.
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Since 1 November 2026, a permanent €2 handling fee has been added to the temporary €3 customs duty the EU introduced in July on low-value parcels, both charged per item type, ending a decade of duty-free small parcels. What has changed, why Brussels acted, how Temu, Shein, AliExpress and smaller Chinese sellers are affected, what the planned EU customs authority means, and our legal recommendations for exporters.
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From 1 September 2026, dividends paid by foreign-invested enterprises to foreign individual shareholders are taxed at 20 per cent, ending an exemption in place since 1994—with no transition period and no carve-out for profits already accumulated. Official commentary suggests most investors will see no net increase. A client alert on who actually pays more, why treaty relief must be claimed before payment, why restructuring is not a free exit, and what FIEs and their shareholders should do now.
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With its island-wide special customs regime in force since December 2025, the Hainan Free Trade Port has moved from policy blueprint to working economic pilot. An assessment of the dual-border “first line, second line” model, the concrete opportunities now open in trade, healthcare, tourism and advanced industries, and the governance risks that will decide whether China’s most consequential opening-up experiment succeeds.
Read the article →Market entry, negative-list analysis and structuring inbound investment.
Deal structuring, foreign-investment screening and post-merger integration.
International arbitration, enforcement and cross-border litigation strategy.
Trademark registration, trade-secret protection and anti-counterfeiting.
Franchising, distribution, licensing and operating compliance.
Anti-Monopoly Law compliance, pricing practices and regulator engagement.
Hiring, termination, handbooks and workforce disputes under PRC law.
Governance, exit mechanics and protecting contributed technology.
Financing, securities regulation and cross-border capital formation.
Urban renewal, land-use rights and project execution in China.
Trade policy, sanctions exposure and supply-chain compliance.
Conversations with lawyers, investors and business leaders shaping China-related work.
"The firms that win cross-border mandates are the ones fluent in two legal cultures, not just two languages."
