What Are the Benifits to Us If We Hire CHINA LAW OFFICE As Our PRC Lawyers ?

A Thailand businessman's daughter came to my firm yesterday afternoon with his brother in order to get Chinese legal consultations on their Thai father's recent detaining by the Hainan provincial prosecutor/presecurate, the meeting lasted almost one and a half hour. What struck me most at the meeting, however, is their question of why they shall hire my firm to be their PRC lawyers to deal with their father's tough case, which may necessarily require us lawyers to fly to Hainan back and forth for several or probably quite a few times, even though they were referred to us by a chief Hong Kong arbitrator.

In fact, this is not the first time that we are asked such a sort of question, generally applicable to the new-coming clients. I had to think it over again and also decide now to list as follows the main reasons so that I may easily give them the replies via emails or read them aloud in the futures:

1. China Law Office lawyers are all licensed PRC lawyers, no different from the other Chinese lawyers, but we are headquartered in Hong Kong beyond Mainland China, focusing on serving the Hong Kong and other overseas clients.

2. China Law Office is the sole Mainland Chinese law firm nowadays to be named with "China", for according to the PRC Lawyers Law, no Chinese law firms can be named with "China", my firm is exceptional, for it was established and is always existing in Hong Kong which adopts the "one country two legal system" state policy, beyond Mainland China. Such a "big" name may to much extents reflect its special status, almost all of my firm's lawyers were originated from Mainland China, but had once studied or lived abroad for some years before their joining in the firm, having gained years of overseas experiences which can no doubts help serve better the Hong Kong and overseas clients.

3. China Law Office is a Chinese law firm with the PRC Ministry of Justice backgrounds, or to be more exact, the Beijing based PRC Ministry of Justice established in Hong Kong in 1987 its "window company" of China Legal Service (Hong Kong) Limited, which is still existing, and China Law Office was established in 1997 in Hong Kong under the umbrella of China Legal Service (Hong Kong) Limited, 2 or 3 partners of China Law Office are designated by China Legal Service(Hong Kong) Limited, even though legally speaking, China Law Office is a partnership commercial law firm with unlimited liabilities, just as all the other law firms in Hong Kong, and/or as most of the other Mainland Chinese law firms. Therefore, China Law Office has more or less / indirect governmental backgrounds or at least we lawyers are officially easier to communicate with the mainland Chinese central/provincial/municipal governmental authorities, courts, public bureau and prosecurate, also there is no need for us lawyers to worry about or concern more about the local governmental stances or "threats" upon (local) lawyers.

4. China Law Office lawyers have practiced Chinese law in Hong Kong for more than 20 years, for before 1997 when China Law Office was officially established, all of our lawyers had practiced the Chinese law in the name of / within China Legal Service (Hong Kong) Limited, but after 1997 in the name of / within China Law Office, having gained almost two dozens of legal experience for the Hong Kong and overseas clients, having known how to better serve the Hong Kong and overseas clients, having earned widespread reputations, otherwise, how can we survive in the most expensive city of Hong Kong for 20 years(note: we lawyers have not been financially supported by the legal company or any other governmental authorities)?

5. China Law Office is headquartered in Hong Kong, with liaison offices(not representative offices) in Shenzhen, Shanghai and Beijing. Moreover, we have also established a nation-wide cooperative lawyers' network covering up almost all capital cities of different Chinese provinces, may easily instruct any of such cooperative local Chinese lawyers to take immediate actions for our overseas clients, or make efficient searches for any Chinese companies/properties/land, or deliver and receive documents as necessarily required by some local Chinese authorities or by clients, or to do other simple / minor matters.

6. With regard to our professional fees and disbursements, we quote competitive service fees, in fact, we have noticed that my firm's hourly charge is almost the same as or generally lower than those leading law firms in Beijing and/or Shanghai, for they usually quote professional fees for overseas (M & A or PE) clients in 2007 and 2008 for US$500 up per hour, while we usually quote the hourly rate for US$450 around. As for the travel expenses, they are separately billed to the clients as cost, no big differences in the regards between my firm and the leading Chinese law firm.

7. China Law Office has a list of Hong Kong and world leading clients, annually on their outside lawyer list, reflecting their strong trust and confidence in us lawyers.

Isn't it clear enough for the Hong Kong and overseas clients to consider using China Law Office as one of their selective PRC law firms in order to better protect their lawful interests in relations to their complicated with unique cultures Mainland China affairs ?