As foreshadowed by ALB last year, Minter Ellison has officially opened an office in Beijing. International managing partner Mark Green said the Beijing office was a natural extension of the firm's footprint in China. "As China's administrative, policy and regulatory hub, Beijing is an important centre," he said.  "Having a Minter Ellison office here is both a strategic move and the next logical step for us in China.”

Minter Ellison has had offices in Hong Kong since the early 1980s and in Shanghai since 1999. The firm’s practice model in Greater China has been to focus on niche areas where the firm's expertise allows it to provide a specialised service. "Our key focus in Beijing is to work with clients on outbound M&A and inbound and outbound investment opportunities," Green added.

The team in Beijing will include partner Sam Farrands as initial chief representative, as well as lawyers Tim Knowles, Andrew Thomson and Kevin Zhou. ALB

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• Minter Ellison eyes Beijing presence  (17 August 2009)