Tian Yongfu, the head counsel for Samsung China, has taken a new turn in his legal career by joining the partnership at GoldenGate. Tian will focus on commercial negotiations, litigation and arbitration, and corporate compliance issues.
Making the switch from in-house to private practice was attractive to Tian. “There is no determining which is better – in-house or private practice – as it depends entirely on one’s career objectives and preferences,” he said. “Personally, I feel that this opportunity would serve as a higher pedestal to my career path.”
However, the change comes with its own set of challenges. “Switching from in-house to private practice turns tables,” Tian noted. “For instance, when I was an in-house counsel I never had to consider client requests, but now I am no longer the client. One cannot hurry in overcoming such challenges. It is a step-by-step progress which includes building your experiences and clientele. Word-of-mouth is a powerful facet in the legal business, as it can establish a great deal of trust between clients and lawyers,” he added.
GoldenGate has offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Munich and its list of long-term clients include CNMC, Si Fang Group, Ogilvy & Mather, Samsung China, Metso and Ritz. As part of GoldenGate’s expansion strategy, the firm was recently admitted as a member of TAGlaw, a global alliance of high-quality independent law firms, becoming the second Chinese law firm to become a member. The first was Jade & Fountain.
“Alliances like these are mutually beneficial. It serves as recognition of our standing as a firm and our reputation as lawyers. We do not actively seek to join such alliances and only consider membership when approached. However, this does not mean we will cast out the possibilities of joining other alliances,” said Tian.
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