Practice areas

Cross-border restructuring, insolvency and liquidation; Foreign direct investment; Foreign-related litigation and arbitration; Outbound investment

Introduction

In 1995 James Chen obtained a Chines Lawyer’s Licence, and from 1994 to 1999 he worked at Kingson Law Firm. From 1999 to 2000, he studied in the UK, obtaining an LLM in International Business Law, and from 2000 to 2001 was an intern at Coudert Brothers’ LA branch. From August 2001 until now he has worked at Zhuoxin Law Firm.

From July to August 2003, Chen attended an exchange programme with Charltons HK, and in August 2014 he attended a training programme of the National Elite of Foreign-related Lawyers at the ACLA. From November to December 2014 he attended the ACLA’s international training programme of the National Elite of Foreign-related Lawyers at Centre de Garrigues in Spain.

Chen has advised US, European, Australian and Asian companies investing in China by way of setting up representative offices, joint ventures, wholly foreign owned enterprises, or mergers and acquisitions with Chinese companies.

With 20 years of legal experience, Chen has expertise in advising clients on commercial and corporate matters, and is currently legal counsel to foreign companies including Nestle Guangzhou, Swire Guangdong Coca-Cola, Tyco International, Tupperware China, Coface China, Candy China, Taly China, etc.

Chen has been involved in a number of large-scale assignments involving cross-border liquidation and restructuring, including GITIC and Guangdong Enterprises (Holdings) projects and numbers of insolvency tasks in connection to large companies with Hong Kong or offshore backgrounds, such as Moulin Global Eyecare Holding, Tack Fat Group, Peace Mark, Boto, Asia Aluminum, Sino-Environment, China Packaging and China Metal Recycling Holding, etc.

Chen has rich experience in capital markets, has participated in quite a few domestic and foreign IPO and M&A projects, and has handled several projects successfully listed on the National Equities Exchange and Quotations as the project leader.

He has represented foreign clients or foreign-invested companies on investment or trade disputes with Chinese companies in CIETAC, and in courts across China, and is leading a team to provide collection service and litigation for Coface and Pi An Insurance arising from trade credit insurance service.

Professional affiliations: May 2012, member of Council of 8th Guangzhou Lawyers Association; May 2013, vice-president of Hongkong, Macau, Taiwan and foreign affairs committee of Guangdong Lawyers Association; September 2013, tutor of practical courses at the Law School of the Guangzhou University; November 2013, arbitrator of Guangzhou Arbitration Commission; January 2015, arbitrator of Nanchang Arbitration Commission; February 2015, arbitrator of Hefei Arbitration Commission; April 2016, member of the 9th Council of Guangzhou Lawyers Association; August 2016 director of the 9th specialized committee of Foreign-related Legal Service in Guangzhou Lawyers Association.

Social honours: December 2012, member of legal support activity for enterprise of Bureau of Justice of Guangzhou; August 2013, National Elite of Foreign-related Lawyers of National Lawyers Association; October 2014, Expert of International Commercial law of Guangdong Lawyers Association; December 2016, selected as China’s Top 100 Lawyers of 2016 by China Business Law Journal; June 2017, elected in the talent pool of Belt and Road cross-border attorneys by ACLA; July 2017, selected as Top 20 Client Choice lawyer by SSQ Thomson Reuters ALB in 2017.

Bar admission: Lawyer, People’s Republic of China independent director.

Education background: Sun Yat-sen University, Bachelor of Law; University of Hull, UK, LLM.

Languages: Mandarin, Cantonese and English.

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