而安德慎律所则是力拓的法律顾问，该所的团队由澳大利亚墨尔本的合伙人Scott Langford领导，加上北京特别顾问Frank Fan和墨尔本律师Athol Birtley和Rebecca James等人的协助。

Sino-Promise Law Firm, Allens Arthur Robinson and Clifford Chance have advised Rio Tinto and Chinalco on a new joint venture agreement.

The joint venture – Chinalco Rio Tinto Exploration Co – will conduct mineral exploration in China for copper deposits, with the possibility of later expansion to include coal and potash. Chinalco holds a 51 percent interest in the venture, Rio Tinto 49 percent.

The parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding in December last year and the venture was finalised in last week but is still subject to Chinese regulatory approval.

This is one of several joint venture arrangements between the parties following Chinalco’s unsuccessful US$19.5 billion bid for Rio Tinto in 2009.

Chinalco was advised by Sino-Promise and Clifford Chance. Sino-Promise’s team was led by lawyers Kong Weiping, Wang Rong and Chen Yuting. Clifford Chance’s lead lawyers were London partner Kathy Honeywood and Beijing partner Tim Wang.

Allens, led by Melbourne partner Scott Langford and assisted by Beijing special counsel Frank Fan and Melbourne lawyers Athol Birtley and Rebecca James, provided legal advice to Rio Tinto.