International & Cross-Border Transactions (International Firms) | Global

A key player in the Chinese cross-border market, with offices in Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai, Clifford Chance enjoys a leading reputation for carrying out international work across a full-service range of practice areas. The firm has significant appeal for handling cross-border work because of its impressive global network and remains a popular choice for leading sophisticated international mandates.

A distinguished full-service firm, Freshfields is recognised for its international mindset and its ability to coordinate cross-border work. Its impressive Chinese offering consists of offices in Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai, which regularly collaborate across the firm's regional and global network. The firm has outstanding international capabilities and collaborates with offices in its integrated network of top-tier teams across Europe, the Middle East, the Americas, Asia-Pacific and Africa. The firm has also established the 'Stronger Together' group of allied firms to serve clients' needs in jurisdictions where collaboration with co-counsel is required.

Linklaters is a prominent firm renowned for the quality of its international work throughout its wide-ranging scope of expertise. The firm's distinguished global platform is also noted as a key attraction to clients, extending the firm's reach across Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia-Pacific. This includes a long-established presence in China, with offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. Linklaters' Chinese operations are strengthened by its Shanghai Joint Operation Office with Zhao Sheng Law Firm, enabling the firm to offer PRC advice to all of its international clients. The firm demonstrates a strong sector-focused approach, with an active presence in the financial services, TMT, life sciences, energy and infrastructure sectors.

Baker McKenzie offers one of the most expansive and established international footprints in the legal industry, and its global reach is frequently referenced by multinational clients as one of its primary assets. Its China practice comprises a skilled team of lawyers with international and local experience based across Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. The offering is bolstered by its joint operation with PRC firm FenXun. Utilising its impressively vast regional and global office network, the firm is well equipped to handle multi-jurisdictional matters.

Davis Polk & Wardwell is a New York-headquartered firm with high-end capabilities across the transactional, regulatory and contentious areas. It is set up to serve global clients and project-manage matters from key financial centres - including London, Paris, Beijing and Hong Kong - and to collaborate with selected partner firms in other jurisdictions for local law aspects as required. Primarily serving large banking institutions and corporates, the firm has extensive experience handling sophisticated, multi-jurisdictional M&A, financing and capital markets offerings, as well as running international investigations and disputes. 

Skadden is a premium global practice which has built widespread coverage and expertise across regions and areas of law on the foundation of its long-standing, market-leading reputation for US law advice. An excellent presence in key Asian markets also boosts the firm's global offering, boasting particularly solid foundations in China, with offices in Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai. The firm is a dominant force on international M&A and finance transactions. It also regularly navigates clients through cross-border disputes and investigations as coordinating counsel. 

White & Case provides clients with an impressive global platform. The firm handles high-end, complex mandates, building multi-office teams with its expansive network across Asia-Pacific, EMEA, and North and South America. This includes an established base in China, with offices in Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai.

Morrison Foerster particularly stands out in the market for its grasp of cross-border work between the US and Asian markets, which is driven by the firm's long-standing investment into its technology sector expertise. The firm boasts a particularly established base in China, with offices in Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai.

Sidley Austin is frequently sought out by international clients for its global sector expertise and strong reputation for advising clients in the financial services, energy, life sciences and biotechnology sectors. The firm attracts ample praise for its ability to join up experts across its platform throughout Europe and Asia, with offices in London, Singapore and China playing a vital role in the firm's international offering. The firm has an impressive ability to handle global transactions, disputes and investigations, enabling it to provide a comprehensive service on sophisticated matters for clients in its key industry groups.  

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett is a New York-based firm regularly sought out by major private equity houses and global corporations as a go-to firm for advice on international transactional mandates. Predominantly advising on high-end M&A as well as complex fund formation, financing and cross-border tax matters, its Hong Kong and Beijing offices constitute an impressive transactional offering in China. The offices regularly coordinate with the firm's prominent US teams. 

A firm frequently endorsed for its geographic reach, DLA Piper is highlighted by sources for delivering an integrated approach to an array of transactional and contentious proceedings. Across its network, the firm has a strong commitment to sector groups and industry-focused expertise, with retail, pharmaceuticals and technology representing key areas of focus. With offices in Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai, DLA Piper combines effective PRC office coverage with a useful gateway to the international market.

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher is a highly regarded US firm with a cast-iron reputation for its disputes and investigations capabilities on an international platform. Its operation in China consists of offices in Beijing and Hong Kong that service its global and Asia-based clients in cross-border transactions and regulatory matters across the region. It is noted for its ability to coordinate multi-jurisdictional matters for its established multinational client base.

Hogan Lovells provides an excellent cross-border service for a range of contentious, transactional and regulatory work. Its operations in China are coordinated from offices in Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai, which advise on inbound and outbound transactions. The teams readily coordinate with the firm's London office for multi-jurisdictional work, and the firm's Chinese capability is bolstered by its Shanghai-based joint operation with Fujian Fidelity. Hogan Lovells also leverages its impressively broad global network, regularly collaborating with offices in other key jurisdictions throughout Europe, the USA, the Middle East and Africa. 

Mayer Brown is a full-service global outfit which brings considerable expertise to a broad spectrum of matters. Its offices in Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai service Chinese and international clients, predominantly in international disputes. The firm's outbound investment cross-border capability in China is strengthened by a network of offices located in major financial centres worldwide.

Milbank is an impressive international firm that is best known for its expertise in the projects and energy sector. The firm services an international client base with offices in Beijing and Hong Kong, while it maintains a wider network of offices in the USA, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

Norton Rose Fulbright has an extensive network of offices distributed throughout North and Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region. The firm is structured in alignment with global industry sectors, which, combined with the geographic spread of its lawyers, makes it a popular choice for global clients seeking a full-service offering. It focuses on building teams with sector-specific multi-jurisdictional expertise to meet the needs of clients with global operations. Its Chinese offering is made up of teams in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong.

Paul Hastings is renowned for its work on complex cross-border issues in the financial sector and corporate governance for large US-headquartered companies and multinationals. It provides concerted international coverage through boots on the ground in key European and Asian markets, which includes an established presence in China, with offices in Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong.

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison is a highly regarded New York-headquartered firm with a strong corporate identity and focus. The firm's typical clients include financial institutions, multinational companies and large private equity houses and asset managers. The firm's own offices connect its US base with a presence in London, China, Tokyo and Toronto, and it is also known to collaborate effectively with high-end firms in other jurisdictions. Its Chinese base consists of strong teams in Beijing and Hong Kong, with a particular focus on cross-border transactions.

Ropes & Gray provides an integrated international offering with a strong global focus on investment funds and financial services, life sciences and pharmaceuticals. Key areas of geographic strength include the Asian markets, and Ropes & Gray is often considered a top law firm by US and Asian clients for investments into China and Japan, where the firm can also offer locally based US law-qualified experts. It is particularly well resourced in China, with offices in Hong Kong and Shanghai.

The Beijing and Hong Kong offices enable Slaughter and May to bring its renowned corporate law expertise to bear for Chinese clients and leading international businesses with operations in China. The firm's stellar cohort of blue-chip corporate clients regularly choose to instruct it as lead counsel on complex cross-border transactions, with an emphasis on transformative M&A deals.

Weil, Gotshal & Manges' Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong teams integrate with its far-reaching network of offices, which extends across the USA and Europe. All the firm's offices have a principal focus on advising international banks, large multinational corporations and private equity funds. The firm typically offers strength in cross-border finance, restructuring, high-end M&A and tax across its platform.