Fenwick & West’s expansion of its China practice is featured in The Recorder in an article titled “Fenwick Sets Course for China.” The article discusses Eva Wang joining the firm as a partner in the China practice group and “veteran China expert” Carmen Chang joining as a senior China advisor.
"Our clients' activity has compelled us to create new resources to serve them," said Fenwick Chair Gordon Davidson. Fenwick has already received numerous client requests on China-related matters since Wang joined the firm at the beginning of May, notes the article.
In addition, the firm plans to apply for a license to open a representative office in China, a process that Davidson expects to take six months to a year. “We’ll start small and grow as needed to meet client requests,” commented Davidson.
Speaking of the larger trends motivating growth in Fenwick’s China Practice, chair-elect Richard Dickson is paraphrased as citing “the wave of companies started by Chinese-American entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley, the volume of American companies launching joint ventures in China, and Chinese investors' interest in American companies.”
Davidson tells The Recorder that a license to practice in China will aid the firm in its efforts to serve both Chinese and U.S. clients in areas like raising venture capital for Chinese companies in U.S. markets and for U.S. companies in Chinese markets, as well as intercontinental joint ventures – with intellectual property and litigation work likely following on the heels of those efforts. Fenwick has been building toward this move, hiring Chinese practice counsel Wei Qun E more than a year ago to support Chinese companies doing business in the U.S.