Bridging Worlds, Building Business
Latham launched its Greater China Practice in 1994 with the opening of its Hong Kong office. In order to better meet the needs of clients, Latham opened an office in Shanghai in 2005, and further expanded its presence in Greater China by opening another in Beijing in 2010.
With more than 70 lawyers in Beijing, Hong Kong, and Shanghai, Latham provides clients with local expertise and an intimate understanding of the local marketplace complemented by our global network. Latham’s vast geographic reach serves the global needs of clients, while the firm’s strong local practices ensure close ties with the world's key financial centers and on the ground support where necessary.
Latham is one of only a few international firms in Asia with the ability to provide substantive US, English, and Hong Kong law advice. Our team includes lawyers fluent in Mandarin and other Chinese dialects, as well as Bahasa Indonesia, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Tagalog, and Thai.
Innovative Solutions for Clients
Latham’s Greater China practice advises Asian, European, US, and Middle Eastern companies on all aspects of their transactions throughout Greater China and the rest of Asia. We also advise on a range of outbound acquisitions and divestments for Chinese buyers and understand the issues and commercial drivers for corporate and private equity players. We are familiar with all of the tools for mitigating execution risk and simultaneously managing financing.
Covering All Aspects of a Deal
Latham helps clients advance their business interests in the region, regularly advising clients in the following practice areas:
Recognized for Excellence in China and Throughout Asia-Pacific
Latham was named to Asian Legal Business’ “Innovation List” in 2016, and the "Most Innovative Firm in the Asia-Pacific" by the Financial Times Asia-Pacific Innovative Lawyers in 2015, recognizing the firm's impressive track record providing cutting-edge advice on some of the region’s most complex and innovative transactions.
In the 2017 edition of Chambers Asia-Pacific, Latham received a number of commendations for practice areas based in Greater China, including:
- Banking & Finance – "The quality is pretty high - they are very responsive, very commercial."
- Capital Markets – Clients praise the Latham team for its "wealth of expertise, very short response times and commerciality." "They're very responsible, efficient and always respond to our query promptly."
- Corporate/M&A – "They have extremely good coverage in all the major markets we operate in - seamless global execution is the main draw." Another client appreciates that the team is "very quick, very flexible and available."
- International Arbitration – Clients are impressed by the level of the team's service, saying, "The team is very focused, extremely competent and goes straight to the heart of the matter. Its ability to deal with the situation at hand is excellent."
- Litigation – Clients hold the firm in high esteem for the quality of its work, one saying, "I am very happy and satisfied with the firm, as we have got the results that we expected."
- Projects & Infrastructure – Clients highlight the firm's "highly regarded project finance lawyers" who are "very responsive to the needs of their clients and take a very practical and pragmatic approach to transactions." Others point to the firm's client-friendly approach, explaining, “They're extremely familiar with the constraints faced by clients. They provide excellent support as they know what the options are."
- Restructuring/Insolvency – Clients appreciate the firm's willingness to work closely with their businesses, "I love working with them; it makes me a better professional, and I learn something every time." Sources also highlight the team's "responsiveness, quick turnaround times and efficiency."
(The guide is based on client and peer feedback as well as the firm’s work during the last 12 months.)