Lehman, Lee & Xu
Encyclopedia
Lehman, Lee & Xu is a Chinese law firm
, established in 1992 by Edward Lehman, Jason Lee, and Xu Jia Li. Its headquarters are located in Beijing
.
Its managing director, Edward Lehman, is an attorney
who came to China from the United States in 1987 to work for the representative office
of American law firm Lord Bissell & Brook (now known as Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell), first in Shanghai
and later also in Beijing. Following the events of June 4, 1989
, foreign law firms retreated from mainland China and, fearing an inability to guarantee the safety of their employees, pulled their operations and associated international staff
back to jurisdictions such as Hong Kong
, which they perceived as less risky.
Lehman, Lee & Xu was the eighth private law firm to be founded in the People's Republic of China.
and intellectual property
, during the late 1990s as China's economy
grew and became more sophisticated, so too did the legal market. Over time, while maintaining and building upon its traditional strengths, the firm has diversified
into all areas of corporate
and commercial law
, not to mention breaking ground into less traditional areas such as mass tort and personal injury
.
Law firm
A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other...
, established in 1992 by Edward Lehman, Jason Lee, and Xu Jia Li. Its headquarters are located in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
.
History
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
who came to China from the United States in 1987 to work for the representative office
Representative office
A representative office is an office established by a company to conduct marketing and other non-transactional operations, generally in a foreign country where a branch office or subsidiary is not warranted. Representative offices are generally easier to establish than a branch or subsidiary, as...
of American law firm Lord Bissell & Brook (now known as Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell), first in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
and later also in Beijing. Following the events of June 4, 1989
Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
The Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, also known as the June Fourth Incident in Chinese , were a series of demonstrations in and near Tiananmen Square in Beijing in the People's Republic of China beginning on 15 April 1989...
, foreign law firms retreated from mainland China and, fearing an inability to guarantee the safety of their employees, pulled their operations and associated international staff
Expatriate
An expatriate is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing...
back to jurisdictions such as Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, which they perceived as less risky.
Lehman, Lee & Xu was the eighth private law firm to be founded in the People's Republic of China.
Practice Areas
While the firm initially focused on foreign direct investmentForeign direct investment
Foreign direct investment or foreign investment refers to the net inflows of investment to acquire a lasting management interest in an enterprise operating in an economy other than that of the investor.. It is the sum of equity capital,other long-term capital, and short-term capital as shown in...
and intellectual property
Intellectual property in the People's Republic of China
Intellectual property rights have been acknowledged and protected in the People's Republic of China since 1979. The People's Republic of China has acceded to the major international conventions on protection of IPRs...
, during the late 1990s as China's economy
Economy of the People's Republic of China
The People's Republic of China ranks since 2010 as the world's second largest economy after the United States. It has been the world's fastest-growing major economy, with consistent growth rates of around 10% over the past 30 years. China is also the largest exporter and second largest importer of...
grew and became more sophisticated, so too did the legal market. Over time, while maintaining and building upon its traditional strengths, the firm has diversified
Diversification (marketing strategy)
Diversification is a form of corporate strategy for a company. It seeks to increase profitability through greater sales volume obtained from new products and new markets. Diversification can occur either at the business unit level or at the corporate level. At the business unit level, it is most...
into all areas of corporate
Corporate law
Corporate law is the study of how shareholders, directors, employees, creditors, and other stakeholders such as consumers, the community and the environment interact with one another. Corporate law is a part of a broader companies law...
and commercial law
Commercial law
Commercial law is the body of law that governs business and commercial transactions...
, not to mention breaking ground into less traditional areas such as mass tort and personal injury
Personal injury
Personal injury is a legal term for an injury to the body, mind or emotions, as opposed to an injury to property. The term is most commonly used to refer to a type of tort lawsuit alleging that the plaintiff's injury has been caused by the negligence of another, but also arises in defamation...
.