China Law Firms Open US Offices
The globalization of law practice is a two-way street, and, just as U.S. law firms are seeking to establish a presence in China, Chinese law firms are looking to set up offices here.
Among the Chinese law office leaders planting the law firm flag on American soil are Jun He, in New York City; King & Wood, in Silicon Valley; and Alpha & Leader, a 60-lawyer Guangzhou-based firm that opened this year in Los Angeles, reports the Recorder (sub. req.), in an article excerpted in New York Lawyer (reg. req.).
Robert Allan, who is managing partner for Alpha & Leader’s five-lawyer Los Angeles office, is a Canadian-trained lawyer who began working as a sole practitioner in California in 1985. He was introduced by a mutual client in 2003 to the Chinese lawyer who is now the senior partner at Alpha & Leader in China.
The two initially worked together as affiliates before establishing their law office last summer. It specializes in the purchase and sale of nonperforming loans that are at least on the verge of default.
“I think we’re going to see more Chinese firms here—they want to have a footprint here,” Allan said.
