Firm’s First International Office to Serve Needs of Both U.S. and Chinese Companies
CHICAGO, ILL. — Quarles & Brady LLP announced today that it has opened a Shanghai representative office in Shanghai, China representing the Firm’s first office outside the United States. Building upon the launch of the Firm’s China Law Group in 2007, this is next step in the Firm’s strategic expansion, which involves developing a focused presence in China.
“Building upon the success and opportunities created by our China Law Group, this move, approved by the People’s Republic of China, marks Quarles & Brady’s eighth office and is the latest milestone in our efforts to expand into markets where our clients need us,” said John W. Daniels Jr., chairman of Quarles & Brady.
Working with clients throughout an array of industries, the Firm’s Shanghai office will focus on advising clients on foreign direct investment, mergers and acquisitions, securities offerings (including U.S. listings), joint ventures, intellectual property, regulatory issues, and corporate and governmental relations.
Fred Lautz, managing partner of Quarles & Brady and chair of its China Law practice stated, “Our presence in Shanghai provides substantial opportunities to serve both new and existing clients, including U.S. companies which are already present in — or are planning to enter — China as well as Chinese companies expanding into the United States.”
Thomas Stiebel Jr. will serve as the Firm’s chief legal representative of the Shanghai office.
Quarles & Brady has developed strong working relationships with a number of prominent local firms in recent years to provide access to local counsel on specific Chinese law matters.
About the attorneys:
Thomas Stiebel Jr., a Chicago-based partner, has extensive experience counseling clients on all aspects of intellectual property acquisition, protection and enforcement. In China, Mr. Stiebel’s clients include large state-owned enterprises as well as private entities, principally in the pharmaceutical, biotech, real estate, automotive and manufacturing sectors. He serves on the Panel of Arbitrators of the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission and is an arbitration panel member for the Wuhan Arbitration Commission. He received a J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law, a M.S. in Biology from St. Louis University and a B.A. from Southern Illinois University.
Karen Dickinson, a Phoenix-based partner, is a skilled negotiator, writer and legal counselor, with extensive hands-on experience in both international and e-commerce legal matters. Her practice includes international contracting, joint ventures and alliances, software and intellectual property licensing and joint developments, trademark prosecution and licensing, e-commerce (intranet/internet) and web development. She currently serves as chair of the Arizona District Export Council and is on the board of Sias University Foundation, a nonprofit organization, which supports the first American-owned university in the People’s Republic of China. A magna cum laude law graduate of Arizona State University School of Law and a cum laude graduate of Duke University, she was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship in 1994 and is a former member of the Fulbright Commission, UK/Ireland Review Committee.
Sanford Stein, a partner in the Firm’s Chicago office, focuses his practice on energy, environmental, land use, zoning and government relations law. For more than 30 years, he has served governmental and private sector clients in an array of legislative, regulatory and judicial activities in a multistate area. Mr. Stein is active in representing Chinese High Speed Rail interests in the United States and particularly in Illinois and other Midwestern states. He was involved in some of the first decisions under the National Environmental Policy Act and, as an attorney for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, was responsible for numerous enforcement and policy matters. He served as a member of the Obama for America Energy and Environment Policy Committee and is a member of Illinois Governor Pat Quinn’s Taxpayer Action Board. He received his law degree, cum laude, from George Washington University Law School and his undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois.
Geoffrey Ossias, a Phoenix based partner, advises growth companies on matters related to securities offerings, 34 Act compliance, corporate governance and a range of strategic business transactions. He has represented Chinese and U.S. issuers in connection with U.S. listings and debt and equity financings raising well in excess of $1 billion (including underwritten IPOs, shell mergers, Reg. S offerings, foreign flotations, PIPEs, registered directs and going-private transactions). Prior to his private practice, Mr. Ossias was Senior Counsel with the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Corporation Finance in Washington, D.C., where he was responsible for reviewing many complex and high-profile transactions, including offerings by foreign private issuers on Form F-1, and worked directly with the Office of Chief Counsel on developing SEC policies related to PIPEs and equity lines.
Amber Liu, a Chicago-based attorney, assists clients in the areas of international contracting, overseas investment, mergers & acquisitions, corporate financing transactions and general corporate matters with regard to Chinese operations and international trade. She has several years of experience as a corporate lawyer in China, providing legal advice on issues relating to Chinese business, such as entity formation, commercial contracting, intellectual property protection and product liability. Ms. Liu leads the team of lawyers at Quarles & Brady, which is representing the Chinese High Speed Rail interests in the U.S. She received her U.S. law degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law (LL.M., with honors, 2008) and her Chinese law degree from Peking University Law School (LL.B., 1999).
Tina Chan, based in the Firm’s Milwaukee office, practices in the area of general corporate services, mergers and acquisitions, and commercial contracting with an emphasis on China law and technology law. She advises multinational companies regarding foreign direct investment issues in China, including matters such as entity formation, labor contracts, commercial contracting and cash repatriation. She received her law degree from Marquette University Law School and her undergraduate degree (with honors) from the University of Wisconsin.
Located at the new 55-floor B.M. InterContinental Business Centre in downtown Shanghai, home of the new InterContinental hotel and conference center, the Firm’s office resides at one of the pre-eminent business destinations in the Zhabei district of Shanghai.
Quarles & Brady LLP is a full-service law firm with more than 450 attorneys practicing from offices in Phoenix and Tucson, Ariz.; Chicago, Ill.; Naples and Tampa, Fla.; Milwaukee and Madison, Wis.; and Shanghai, China. The Firm offers an array of legal services to corporate and individual clients that range from small entrepreneurial businesses to Fortune 100 companies. Additional information about the Firm may be found at http://www.quarles.com.