Monday, August 15, 2011
Page 3
Sheppard Mullin Expands Global Reach With New Beijing Office
By a MetNews Staff Writer
A Los Angeles law firm announced the opening of its new office in Beijing Friday.
Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP said that the new office, its second in China, will be led by James M Zimmerman, who has joined the firm’s Corporate practice group. Set to join him in the new Beijing office is special counsel Sharon Xu. Both Zimmerman and Xu previously worked as Squire, Sanders & Dempsey in Beijing.
Sheppard Mullin founded its first Chinese office in Shanghai in 2007.
As with Shanghai, the decision to open in Beijing was driven by the needs of existing clients, a firm spokesperson said. It was also driven by the importance of being near the country’s seat of government. The firm’s initial focus in Beijing is to work with clients on outbound M&A and inbound and outbound investment opportunities.
Zimmerman said he was “very excited about joining Sheppard Mullin,” which he praised as “a top-notch full service global firm with an impressive record of growth and expansion in recent years.”
The attorney has been involved with trade-related matters for over 20 years and represents U.S. companies in a broad range of industries with respect to their joint venture investments, manufacturing operations, mergers and acquisitions activities, regulatory compliance, customs and trade matters, labor and employment, intellectual property rights enforcement and dispute resolution matters, according to his firm biography. He helps businesses overcome the complexities of doing business in China, which often involves obtaining government approvals or seeking government support to enhance or modify current legal or regulatory provisions and practice.
Copyright 2011, Metropolitan News Company