The global offshore law firm was granted a licence to offer international legal services by China’s Ministry of Justice earlier this year, which it believes makes it the first offshore law firm with a full service legal team on the ground in China. Harneys said that its offshore legal services offering in China complements those provided by other international and Chinese law firms, whom they work alongside.  The expansion, the company said, makes them the only PRC-based legal services team practising offshore law, specifically the laws of BVI, Cayman, Bermuda, Cyprus and Anguilla.  The firm does not practise Chinese law. 

Robust team

The firm’s Shanghai team comprises a robust associate bench led by industry veteran Kristy Calvert, who has more than 15 years’ experience of working on cross-border transactions, 10 of which were gained in the PRC.  They are supported by a strong team of paralegals, business development managers and corporate secretaries, each of whom speaks fluent English, Mandarin and Shanghainese.

Asia reach

The team will work alongside Harneys’ three other Asia offices in Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo to offer a full range of offshore legal and fiduciary services across each of its key practice areas - corporate and commercial, banking and finance, investment funds, private client and trusts, and litigation and restructuring.

Key milestone

Asia Managing Partner, Jonathan Culshaw commented: ‘Establishing a full service legal team on the ground in the PRC is a key milestone in our strategic plan for Asia. Harneys has been advising China-based clients on the offshore aspects of Chinese inbound and outbound transactions since the 1980s, with the vast majority of our instructions historically emanating from China. We have a deep understanding of China’s legal landscape and regulatory regime as well as the needs of clients in this market, and look forward to being better able to service our mainland clients from a more proximate base in Shanghai.’