Law

Aidan Southall of law firm Potter Clarkson explains how companies can continue to protect their IP and trade secrets at a time when more employees than ever are working remotely The Covid-19 crisis has undoubtedly changed the way businesses operate for good. Nowhere is this more evident than in the shift towards remote working, which is clearly here to stay. In this rapidly changing commercial environment, businesses will need to …

David Hershkorn and Jennifer Maxwell-Harris of lawfirm Joelson explain what the new Hong Kong British National (Overseas) visa rules mean The UK government recently announced the introduction of the new Hong Kong British National (Overseas) visa (BN(O) visa), which will allow British Nationals (Overseas) citizens and their immediate dependants (even if their immediate dependants are non-BNO citizens) to reside and work or study in the UK, with a pathway to …

China has used carved seals known as chops, seals or stamps, for centuries. Whilst they have been replaced by signatures in the west, whoever holds the ‘company chops’ holds the keys to the company, writes Fabio Stella of Hawksford Unlike most of the rest of the world, the use of carved seals (or chops) is still part of the business environment in China, owing to a longstanding tradition with its …

Companies are facing significant operational, financial, and strategic challenges due to the COVID-19 outbreak, although the spread of the virus has slowed down and the situation appears to be stabilising in different regions around the world. As countries restart their economies, businesses need to evaluate the risk of infection and effectively manage their liquidity to survive this difficult period, writes Ines Liu Such times of economic turmoil, however, are when …

Following the release of China’s new draft energy law, Ben Wetherall of ICIS – a market intelligence company providing independent analysis to the world’s biggest international oil and gas companies – gives his take and explains what it means for China’s gas sector. China’s draft energy law is really a consolidation of lots of other things that were already in place or that had already been developed. So for example, …

China recently released its draft energy law, which highlights energy security, renewable energy, and liberalisation and reform of the sector as a whole. Tom Pattison speaks to three experts to find out what it might mean for foreign investors In April, China released its draft energy law that aims to regulate, control and reform the energy sector. “The aim of this law is to reform a sector that is very …

China’s government has confirmed that the country’s ‘Two Sessions’ or ‘Liang hui’ will take place in Beijing beginning from May 21st. These crucial political meetings had originally been scheduled to start on 5th March but were postponed due to Covid-19. This year’s Lianghui is particularly important given the ongoing pandemic: confirmation that it is taking place in May will be seen as a key marker in China’s process of getting …

By Dor Barak of PTL Group At the time of publication, the Coronavirus crisis in China has begun to lift and business conditions are creeping back to some kind of normality. Nonetheless, the spread of the virus over recent weeks has shaken the fabric of business proceedings both in China and the wider world. Against this backdrop of lockdown, the companies that have fared best have been the ones that …

It’s that time of the year when annual audits are due, so make sure your business is aware of the local laws, cultural sensitivities and the challenges of keeping documents in the correct locations, explains Simon Bevan, Head of China-Britain Services Group, Grant Thornton UK LLP International groups are used to the reality that remote businesses – even small ones – often represent a greater risk than the core business …

By Wenhao Han, Partner at Zhong Lun Law Firm As COVID-19 spreads, businesses are feeling its impact on their operations, even if they aren’t based in China. For businesses with supply chains dependent on China, this is especially the case. It’s therefore important to know where your company stands legally. In mid-February, for example, Jaguar Land Rover stated in a Financial Times article that it had to fly components out …