Harneys has officially launched its Shanghai office after becoming the second offshore law firm to receive a licence from China’s Ministry of Justice international legal services.

The firm claims it is the first of its peers with a full-service legal team on the ground in China, and also that it is the only PRC-based legal services team practising offshore law, specifically the laws of BVI, Cayman and Bermuda. Appleby was the first offshore firm to receive a licence.

The Shanghai team is led by Kristy Calvert, who has more than 15 years of experience working on cross-border transactions, ten of which were gained in the PRC.

The team will work alongside Harneys’ three other Asia offices – Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo – to offer offshore legal and fiduciary services across each of its key practice areas: corporate and commercial, banking and finance, investment funds, private client and trusts, and litigation and restructuring.

“Establishing a full-service legal team on the ground in the PRC is a key milestone in our strategic plan for Asia,” said Jonathan Culshaw, the firm’s Asia managing partner, in a statement. “Harneys has been advising China-based clients on the offshore aspects of Chinese inbound and outbound transactions since the 1980s, with the vast majority of our instructions historically emanating from China.”

Harneys’ has a team of 45 lawyers in its Greater China team. The firm recently won the Offshore Law Firm of the Year at the ALB Hong Kong Law Awards 2017.