denotes premium content | Sep 2 2010 
News
posted 17 Dec 2009
Winston & Strawn opens two China offices
WINSTON & STRAWN has won approval from the Chinese government to open two new offices in China.
The openings in Beijing and Shanghai follow the launch of a Hong Kong base in late 2008, and take the firm’s total number of lawyers across all three Asian cities to five. Both offices are spearheaded by partner Xiang Yang Ge, recently hired from Baker & McKenzie.
Managing partner Thomas Fitzgerald said: “We see Asia, and China particularly, continuing to play an increasingly important role.
“We expect to continue our strategic expansion on a global basis, and in regions widely viewed as having the greatest growth opportunities.”
A corporate and regulatory specialist, Ge’s cross-border mergers and acquisitions practice has a particular focus on natural resources, with highlight transactions including PetroChina’s US$2.5bn acquisition of oil and gas assets across 11 different jurisdictions.
However, the openings are also expected to boost the firm’s international trade practice, assisting clients in trade-remedy cases such as anti-dumping proceedings.
Meanwhile, the Hong Kong office has also amassed significant capital markets, private equity and fund-formation capabilities over the past year.
In 2008 Winston & Strawn also acquired a number of lawyers fromthe now dissolved US-based law firm Heller Ehrman.
