Served locally from our Shenzhen office
Our Shenzhen office serves manufacturers, hardware startups, importers and cross-border e-commerce companies across Shenzhen, Dongguan and the wider Pearl River Delta supply chain.
About our Shenzhen officeAcquiring or investing in a Chinese business
Whether you're acquiring a supplier, buying out a JV partner, or taking a stake in a Chinese target, the diligence and regulatory path in China differs sharply from Western practice — official records matter more, management representations matter less, and approvals sequence the deal.
Transaction support
- Legal due diligence — corporate history, licences, real property, encumbrances, litigation, labor and social insurance exposure, related-party dealings and the all-important chop-and-licence custody question
- Deal structuring — onshore vs offshore acquisition, ODI/FDI filings, antitrust (SAMR) merger review thresholds, national security review screening
- Documentation — SPA/equity transfer agreements, shareholder agreements, earn-outs adapted to PRC enforceability
- Closing mechanics — escrow alternatives, registration-gated payments, foreign exchange (SAFE) remittance of purchase price
Distressed & exit work
We also act on JV deadlock and buyouts, equity disputes, corporate restructurings, liquidation and deregistration of Chinese subsidiaries — an orderly exit protects directors and preserves the group's ability to return.
Working alongside your home counsel
We routinely act as PRC counsel coordinating with US, EU and APAC lead counsel, delivering China legal opinions, diligence reports and signing/closing support in their format and on their timeline.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a China acquisition take to close?
A straightforward equity acquisition of a private Chinese company typically runs 3–6 months from LOI to closing: 4–8 weeks of diligence, negotiation in parallel, then SAMR change registration and payment. Antitrust filing, security review or regulated-industry approvals can add 3–6 months.
What is the biggest diligence red flag in Chinese targets?
Undisclosed liabilities that don't appear on financials: unpaid social insurance and housing fund contributions, off-book payroll, guarantees granted with the company chop, and tax exposure from historical under-reporting. We size these and convert them into price adjustments, escrows or indemnities.