Tag Archives: Legal

Chinese VAT rebates: micro and macro issues

Do not forget the impact of Chinese VAT on exports and the economy, someone once said to me.  And I’ve tried to stay true to that. 
I was involved recently in a desktop due diligence of a publicly listed Chinese manufacturing company. 
Nothing untoward was revealed in its public filings and disclosures, but a little more was revealed from an [...]

Commercial secrets: suggestions on how to play it safe

The Circular issued by the State Owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) and released on 26 April 2010 concerning “commercial secrets” of Central State-owned enterprises (CSOEs) has generated signficant commentary about what it really means for businesspeople and advisers in China.
According to the Circular, its intention is to strengthen the protection of CSOE commercial [...]

China’s indigenous innovation policies: no easy solutions

I have previously posted my views on China’s “indigenous innovation” policies.  Reading a recent WSJ blog post by China law specialist Stanley Lubman on the issue, I thought a further post would be timely. 
Mr Lubman’s post (including the links) is well worth reading for its observations on the step-up by the Chinese government to give priority to [...]

Geely and Volvo: let’s get personal with SEC filings

Geely has finally signed a binding contract to acquire Volvo Cars for US$1.8 billion on Sunday March 28, 2010.   Having been in the M&A game myself, I know that these types of deals are very rarely reported the way they happen.  So I dug up Ford’s US Securities and Exchange Commission filings and compared them [...]

Brand new possibilities for partnering in China

As China has found its feet as a growing economic and political power, it has started to get its foreign investment regulatory framework in order.  The changes in laws and regulations over the last few years reflects a China not only cognisant that its own enterprises need to expand past its shores but a China [...]

Ten things about doing deals in China that are different from the West – Part 2

This is the second instalment of my observations on China M&A and how it can be very different from doing deals in the West.  In this instalment, I focus on the approvals process, which begins once the contracts are signed and submitted to the relevant authorities for approval.
6. Government approvals: The approval itself is one [...]

Ten things about doing deals in China that are different from the West – Part 1

I’ve been looking back at the deals I’ve assisted with over the years in Australia, the UK and of course China, and collected some observations on the things I have found about doing an M&A deal in China that are very different  from others. 
Some don’t seem so different anymore but really struck me at the time as [...]

Why are global law firms eyeing Australia? It’s [still] China, stupid

For a slight change of tack, this is not strictly China-related, but it’s one of those things that really got my interest in the last couple of days. 
Allen  & Overy, a global UK-based law firm of significant stature in the legal sector, is opening two offices in Australia.  Such is its reputation, that it is [...]