近日，美国昆鹰律师事务所宣布在北京开设新的办事处，进一步拓展和加强中国业务。这是昆鹰继2016年设立上海代表处后在中国内地设立的第二家代表处。
据悉，昆鹰中国业务主任合伙人刘骁律师将从上海调任，担任北京代表处的管理合伙人，刘律师将与昆鹰上海代表处管理合伙人唐海燕博士共同领导昆鹰的中国业务。
昆鹰在一份新闻稿中表示，此次扩张得益于其中国业务在过去十年的显著增长。自昆鹰在香港和上海的代表处设立以来，昆鹰代表各行业、众多头部中国企业及个人在大量重大、极具挑战性的争议中赢得了非凡的战绩。
值此机会，ALB与刘骁律师展开了独家对话。
ALB：昆鹰北京将有多少名合伙人/律师？
刘骁律师：昆鹰上海和北京将共享同一支律师团队，该团队由十几名在中国和美国接受过法律专业培训、并具备流利中英双语能力的律师组成。
ALB：昆鹰在大中华区已经设有上海及香港办事处，在北京再设立实体办公室的原因是什么？
刘骁律师：在中国，我们的一项关键业务领域是代表中国大型企业处理高风险的跨境纠纷，例如在美国的重大商业诉讼和美国政府机构的调查。有效且高效地处理这些事务，我们需要在现场进行快速应对，与客户保持顺畅的沟通，并与昆鹰海外团队紧密合作。
我们的许多重要客户的总部都设立在北京，因此，我们的团队过去一直频繁地前往北京出差。这些高风险且通常高度敏感的跨境事务需求量很大，所以在北京设立代表处，有利于加强我们的既有服务，也能够触及到身在北京的新客户。
ALB：昆鹰重点关注哪些业务领域及客户？
刘骁律师：我们将继续专注于代表中国企业（包括国有和私营企业）和个人处理重要的海外纠纷，包括在美国和欧洲的所有类型的诉讼，如知识产权诉讼、证券集体诉讼、金融诉讼、国际仲裁以及政府调查/白领犯罪等业务。
我们还将继续助力领先的跨国公司在中国的合规工作，如展开与《反海外腐败法》、内部控制、利益冲突有关的内部调查和独立调查，并提供其他与合规有关的建议。
ALB：美商会近日发布的一份报告显示，在中国开展业务的美国企业对中国市场抱有谨慎乐观的态度。作为一家美国所，开设北京办事处的举动是否表明了你们对中国市场的信心？
刘骁律师：近年来，我们观察到涉及中国当事人的重大诉讼和调查业务都有增长的趋势。昆鹰在美国和其他地区都拥有无可比拟的诉讼资源，在中国也有一支在跨境事务方面经验丰富的本地团队，因此能够最大程度满足这一日益增长的客户需求。众多中国企业和个人客户信任我们，将他们最关键的纠纷交予我们处理，这令我们倍感荣幸，我们也期待着进一步扩大律所的中国业务。
Quinn Emanuel opens in Beijng, eyeing to expand on-the-ground service capability
Los Angeles-headquartered law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan has recently launched a new office in Beijing, which is the firm’s second branch in mainland China apart from its Shanghai office established back in 2016.
Liu Xiao, the firm’s chair of China practice and ex-co-managing partner of its Shanghai office, will re-locate to Beijing and serve as the head of the new office. Liu will lead Quinn Emanuel’s China practice together with Dr. Haiyan Tang, who joined the firm in 2021 and serves as the firm’s head of the Shanghai office.
Quinn Emanuel addressed in a press release that the step comes in the wake of significant growth for the firm’s China practice over the past decade. Since opening in Hong Kong SAR and Shanghai, Quinn Emanuel has achieved extraordinary results for numerous leading Chinese companies and individuals in their most high-stakes and challenging disputes of all kinds.
ALB speaks to Liu Xiao on this occasion in terms of Quinn Emanu’s latest move in China.
ALB: How many partners/associates will there be in Beijing?
Liu Xiao: The Shanghai and Beijing offices will share the same integrated team of around a dozen bilingual attorneys who are trained in the U.S. and China.
ALB: Quinn Emanuel already has Shanghai and Hong Kong offices, why do you need to have a physical presence in Beijing?
Liu Xiao: In China, a key practice area for us is representing major Chinese businesses in high-stake cross-border disputes, such as significant commercial litigations in the U.S. and investigations by the U.S. government agencies. To effectively and efficiently handle these matters requires on-the-ground presence for instant response, smooth communication with the clients and close collaboration with QE’s overseas teams. Many of our key clients are headquartered in Beijing and our teams have been travelling frequently in Beijing in the past. We are in high demand for these high-stake and often highly sensitive cross-border matters. Having a representative office there is essential to enhancing our representation of these and additional clients in Beijing.
ALB: What practice areas/type of clients will the new office focus on?
Liu Xiao: We will continue to focus on representing Chinese companies (both state-owned and private) and individuals in their critical overseas disputes. This would include all types of litigations in the U.S. and Europe, such as IP litigations, securities class actions, financial litigations, etc., international arbitrations, and government investigations/white-collar representations.
We will also continue to represent leading multinational companies in their compliance work in China, such as conducting internal investigations and independent investigations relating to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, internal controls, conflict of interest and providing other compliance-related advice.
ALB: A recent U.S. Chamber of Commerce report shows cautious optimism of U.S. institutions doing business in China. As a U.S. institution yourself, does this move show your confidence of the China market?
Liu Xiao: We have seen a trend of increasing major litigations and investigations concerning Chinese parties in recent years. With unparalleled litigation resources in the U.S. and elsewhere and a local team in China that is highly experienced in cross-border matters, we believe that we are best positioned to meet this increasing client need. We are privileged to have been trusted by so many Chinese companies and individuals in their most critical disputes and look forward to further expanding our China practice.
