Over the past 12 months, Beijing has almost become a rite of passage for international firms to take on Chinese business: Winston & Strawn, Latham & Watkins and Slaughter and May have all launched a Beijing presence. Steptoe & Johnson, which currently advises the government of China on matters before the World Trade Organization, has also jumped on the bandwagon: Beijing is its ninth office location.
Steptoe is known for its strength in complex litigation and regulatory matters, and considers Beijing to now be among the major regulatory centers in the world. "China's emergence onto the world stage has had a profound impact on the global economy," said Susan Esserman, head of Steptoe's international department. "The complex trade and regulatory changes underway in China affect companies investing in the market and can have implications in other key regulatory markets. With Chinese companies now actively expanding into US and European markets, they are encountering opportunities as well as trade and regulatory challenges."
The Beijing office will help the firm expand its work in international trade, market access, export control, antitrust, anti-corruption practice and compliance with US and European environmental, product safety, and other regulations.
Eric Emerson (pictured), a partner in Steptoe's international trade and investment practice, has been appointed as the new office's managing partner. He has been with the firm for 18 years and advises companies on all types of international trade issues. He expected the number of trade remedy cases between China and US to increase in the coming months.
"US-China trade relations have hit a rough patch. Over the next several months we expect to see increased trade friction as US producers continue to be concerned about the loss of employment and sales to Chinese imports," Emerson said. "In China, perceived unfair treatment at the hands of its major trading partners is likely to lead to more trade remedy cases like those recently initiated against US exports of chicken and autos to China."
Steptoe's Beijing office, also the firm's first presence in Asia, is currently staffed with three fee earners - Emerson, partner Susan Munro and foreign consultant Ying Huang. Munro joined from O'Melveny & Myer's Shanghai office, and has spent more than ten years advising clients on market entry and exit strategies, acquisitions, and regulatory matters. Huang has been relocated to Beijing from the firm's Washington DC office, where she spent seven years as foreign legal consultant. In the next two months, the firm plans to grow the total headcount to more than ten - including seven fee earners and four support staff.
Steptoe also has offices in Brussels, London, Washington DC, Los Angles, Chicago, New York and Phoenix.
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