China

The pandemic disrupted China—and the world—like nothing in recent memory. Devastating challenges to health, shutdowns and lockdowns, supply chain interruptions, and travel restrictions: the pandemic shook an already difficult environment for succeeding in business in China. But through it all, O’Melveny remained active and strong in China, helping our clients succeed. Entering a post-pandemic world, while China may be at a crossroads, O’Melveny is already helping international clients navigate the future of business in China and Chinese companies succeed globally.

To excel in China, a firm must be on the ground here, develop and recruit legal talent here, and foster business and governmental relationships here. O’Melveny has done that. Since establishing our first mainland and Hong Kong offices in the mid-1990s, O’Melveny has had a role in some of the most important cross-border business transactions involving China, and been at the forefront of legal developments over the decades. Given our long and unique history here, O’Melveny is in a strong position to help any business regarding its China strategy and aspirations.

We have represented clients—Chinese and American companies and individuals, as well as multinational corporations—in some of the most important matters in China’s recent history. We have helped clients with major industrial acquisitions in the PRC and advised Chinese companies pursuing listings on Hong Kong and US exchanges—since 2020, we have helped take more than 30 companies public via IPOs. We have counseled Chinese startups and secured antitrust clearances for other companies in China and around the region.

We are committed to China, inside and outside the boardroom. True to our firm’s values, we believe in contributing to the community. In mainland China and Hong Kong, our attorneys often take on pro-bono work. O’Melveny also sponsors a legal scholarship program for students in China; we support education for underprivileged youth in rural parts of the country; and we were at the front line for early Covid-19 pandemic relief support in China (in partnership with Medshare).

O’Melveny attorneys in China are:

• Top-rated in the key areas of M&A, Private Equity, Capital Markets, Competition and Antitrust, International Arbitration, Dispute Resolution and regulatory matters; and they excel in multiple sectors, from Life Sciences and Biotechnology to TMT and real estate;
• Multilingual, and many have been educated in both China and the US;
• Responsive in a region that operates at “China speed”;
• Mindful of clients’ needs while being sensitive to the sensibilities of local professionals;
• Resourceful and well-connected; we regularly work with local firms, financial institutions, auditors, and regulators—we know them and they know us;
• Informed about international relations, and Chinese regulations and policies, and how they apply to our clients;
• Well-educated in their fields; many hold advanced degrees in the life sciences and physical sciences.