Practices
Nineteen practice groups covering the full life cycle of doing business in and with China.
Corporate and M&A
Corporate and M&A in China now rests on a revised Company Law, a shorter Negative List and listed-company rules rewritten in 2024 and 2025. This guide maps the legal environment for acquisitions, investments, joint ventures and reorganisations, and explains how we coordinate international and onshore workstreams.
Explore the practice- Cross-border M&A in China
- Private equity and venture capital transactions
- Joint ventures in China
- Listed company M&A and takeovers
- Take-private transactions
- Strategic M&A and special situations
- PE exits
- Corporate governance and the Company Law
- Group restructuring and reorganisation
- Liquidation and deregistration of foreign-invested enterprises
- Warranty and indemnity insurance in China deals
- General counsel and retained legal support
- Commercial contracts and outsourcing
Foreign Investment and Market Entry
Foreign investment in China is now simpler to start and more demanding to run. Entry is largely a registration process outside the negative list, but investors must manage security review, foreign exchange, data, incentives and geopolitical risk. This practice brings those issues together for foreign groups, Asian investors and founders using offshore structures.
Explore the practiceOutbound Investment and Going Global
China outbound investment now runs through two sets of rules at once: Chinese procedures that control how capital, technology and data leave the country, and host-country regimes that increasingly screen Chinese buyers. This page maps both, explains where deals stall, and links to our detailed guides on approvals, compliance, projects, treaties and key markets.
Explore the practice- Outbound direct investment (ODI) approvals
- Overseas compliance for Chinese enterprises
- International projects and overseas EPC
- Bilateral investment treaties and political risk
- Multilateral development bank sanctions and integrity
- Southeast Asia market entry
- Latin America and emerging markets
- EU–China investment
- US–China cross-border issues
Capital Markets
China capital markets now span three regulatory systems, a dozen listing routes and a deep onshore bond market. This guide explains who regulates what, what changed in 2025 and 2026, how to choose between equity and debt routes for China-related issuers, and the planning mistakes that most often delay a deal.
Explore the practice- A-share, Hong Kong and US IPOs
- STAR Market, ChiNext and Beijing Stock Exchange listings
- HKEX Chapter 18A and 18C listings
- H-share placements and follow-on offerings
- NEEQ listings
- De-SPAC transactions
- Onshore debt capital markets
- Offshore bonds
- Panda bonds
- Convertible and exchangeable bonds
- Hybrid securities
- Securitisation (ABS and ABN)
- China REITs and pre-REITs
- Listed company advisory and disclosure
- Securities compliance and CSRC enforcement
- Hong Kong–Mainland market connectivity
Banking and Finance
Banking and finance in China sits at the meeting point of a fast-moving domestic regulatory system and the English-law and Hong Kong-law documents that most international lenders still use. This guide explains who regulates what, how cross-border debt is controlled, how security works, and where TRW & Co fits alongside licensed PRC counsel.
Explore the practice- Syndicated and corporate lending
- Acquisition and leveraged finance
- Project finance
- Asset, aircraft and vessel finance and leasing
- Trade finance and export credit
- Derivatives and structured products
- Pre-IPO and take-private financing
- Fund finance
- Banking and financial regulation
- Financial institution M&A and establishment
- Islamic finance and China
Funds and Asset Management
Funds in China operate under a layered regime of statute, State Council regulations, CSRC rules and AMAC self-regulation that has been substantially rewritten since 2023. This guide explains how the system fits together, what changed in 2025 and 2026, and how foreign and Chinese sponsors, investors and managers can work within it.
Explore the practiceFintech and Digital Assets
Fintech in China, and the digital asset business that surrounds it, is governed by a strict licensing perimeter on the mainland and a growing licensed market in Hong Kong. This guide explains who regulates what, the key changes of 2024 to 2026, and how cross-border businesses can structure payments, platforms, tokens and AI projects that touch Chinese users or assets.
Explore the practiceAntitrust and Competition
Antitrust in China now reaches almost every significant commercial decision a foreign or Chinese business makes, from acquisitions and distribution terms to platform rules and pricing. This guide explains how the system fits together, who enforces it, what changed in 2024 to 2026, and where international businesses most often need to plan ahead.
Explore the practice- Merger control filings
- Antitrust investigations and leniency
- Abuse of dominance
- Cartels
- Vertical agreements and distribution
- Antitrust compliance programmes
- Private antitrust litigation
- Anti-unfair competition
- Fair competition review
- SEP and FRAND under competition law
- Regulated access and infrastructure
- Consumer protection
- Advertising and marketing compliance
Compliance and Investigations
Compliance in China now requires fluency in two systems at once: Chinese criminal, financial and national security law, and the foreign regimes that reach conduct in China. This practice guide maps the landscape, the main enforcers, common mistakes and the services we provide across thirteen areas.
Explore the practice- Corporate compliance programmes
- Anti-bribery and corruption
- Anti-money laundering
- Internal and government investigations
- Cross-border regulatory investigations
- White-collar crime
- Criminal defence
- Smuggling cases
- State secrets and audit working papers
- National security compliance for foreign individuals and research
- NGO and INGO regulation
- Professional services regulation
- Legal and compliance technology
International Trade, Sanctions and Customs
China trade rules have become a strategic issue: tariffs, export controls, countermeasures, origin rules and forced labour laws now shape where goods are made and sold. This guide maps the Chinese and international framework, the pressures of 2025 and 2026, and how to build a trade compliance programme that holds up across jurisdictions.
Explore the practice- Export controls and sanctions
- Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law and blocking rules
- Rare earths and critical minerals controls
- Customs compliance
- Tariffs, origin and customs valuation
- Inspection and quarantine
- Cross-border e-commerce
- Trade remedies
- WTO and trade agreements
- US Section 337 investigations
- International trade disputes
- Supply chain due diligence and forced labour rules
Data, Cybersecurity and AI
Data and AI in China are governed by three core laws, a fast-growing body of CAC rules and detailed national standards. This guide maps the framework as it stands in 2026, explains who regulates what, highlights the changes that matter most for multinationals and Chinese groups going abroad, and links to our detailed guides.
Explore the practice- Personal information protection (PIPL)
- Cross-border data transfer
- Important data and data security
- Data breach response
- Data compliance in IPOs and M&A
- Health and medical data
- Employee personal information
- EU data and cyber rules for Chinese companies
- Data assets and data trading
- AI regulation and governance
- AI disputes and case law
- AI in employment
- Connected vehicle and automotive data
- Healthcare AI
Intellectual Property
IP in China is a registration-driven system with fast, specialised courts, substantial damages and an active administrative enforcement network. Rights holders who file early, document ownership and plan enforcement do well; those who rely on rights held elsewhere often find they have nothing to enforce. This guide maps the framework, recent changes and our practice areas.
Explore the practiceDispute Resolution
Disputes in China are won or lost on decisions made long before a claim is filed: the forum, the governing law, where the assets sit and what evidence can lawfully be moved. This guide explains the 2026 framework of courts, arbitration and mediation and how foreign and Chinese parties use it.
Explore the practice- Commercial and contract disputes
- Shareholder and corporate disputes
- Financial disputes
- International arbitration
- Domestic arbitration in China
- Mediation
- Cross-border litigation and enforcement of judgments
- Hong Kong courts and HKIAC
- Foreign state immunity
- Supreme People's Court practice and retrials
- Administrative litigation and reconsideration
- Securities misrepresentation class actions
- Product liability and tort claims
- Insurance and professional negligence disputes
- Construction and infrastructure disputes
- Real estate disputes
- Climate change litigation
Restructuring and Insolvency
Restructuring in China has become a mainstream concern for lenders, investors and directors, driven by stress in real estate, local government financing and parts of industry. The Enterprise Bankruptcy Law is being comprehensively revised, Hong Kong and mainland courts cooperate under a pilot arrangement, and most outcomes still depend on early, coordinated action.
Explore the practiceEmployment
Employment in China is governed by a protective, procedure-heavy framework: mandatory written contracts, termination only on statutory grounds, fixed severance and compulsory social insurance. This guide maps the rules, recent changes such as the 2025 Supreme People's Court interpretation and the rising retirement age, and how foreign employers can plan around them.
Explore the practice- Employment contracts and policies
- Labour arbitration and litigation
- Layoffs, transfers and restructuring
- Non-compete obligations
- Social insurance, benefits and pensions
- Trade unions and collective bargaining
- Work permits and mobility
- Employment investigations and due diligence
- Employee equity incentive plans
Tax
China tax rules shape the return on every investment, from entry structure to exit. With a new VAT Law in force since January 2026, a 10% reinvestment credit for foreign investors and a draft revision of the tax collection law under review, this guide explains the system, recent changes and how our practice areas fit together.
Explore the practiceReal Estate and Construction
China real estate has moved from a development boom to a market focused on income-producing assets, rental housing, urban renewal and REITs. This guide explains land use rights, registration, foreign investment and tax, summarises the key 2025 and 2026 reforms, and introduces our real estate and construction practice areas.
Explore the practice- Real estate M&A
- Commercial real estate investment
- Real estate development
- Primary land development and urban renewal
- Commercial leasing and build-to-suit
- Logistics and industrial real estate
- Hotels and leisure
- Real estate funds
- Real estate finance
- Property management and compliance
- Planning and environment
- Construction projects
ESG, Environment and Climate
ESG in China is now a matter of binding law, not voluntary reporting. The Ecological Environment Code took effect in August 2026, large listed companies filed their first mandatory sustainability reports, and carbon pricing and EU border rules now reach Chinese supply chains. This guide maps the landscape and our nine practice areas.
Explore the practicePrivate Client and Family Office
Private client planning for Chinese families now spans several jurisdictions, generations and legal systems. This guide explains the rules that shape it, from the Civil Code and trust regulation to tax transparency and Hong Kong family office incentives, and introduces our work on trusts, family offices, succession and governance.
Explore the practice