The newly launched Beijing office of Shanghai Jade & Fountain has increased its capacity by appointing Sophie Sha, formerly a senior consultant at Baker & McKenzie's Beijing office, as a partner.
Sha focuses on cross-border energy & resources and infrastructure & construction projects. Prior to her time at Baker & McKenzie, she worked in the in-house legal department of China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC).
The increasing legal needs of internationalising Chinese companies and the growth prospects for the local legal profession are the reasons Sha decided to leave an international firm and take up partnership with a local firm. "The market place has experienced some remarkable changes in recent years and PRC firms have gained prominence in the provision of legal services to foreign investors and multinational companies in China. The rise and strong growth of Chinese companies in the domestic and global markets have also brought new opportunities and opened new markets for local firms," she said.
Currently, Jade & Fountain's Beijing office has two partners and several associates. The office is headed by partner Lawrence Guo, a China-New York dual qualified lawyer who joined the firm in April this year to drive its expansion into Beijing. The firm's plan is to develop a medium-sized practice in Beijing with 50 lawyers and partners in the next few years. ALB
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