Mar 08 2010
Sorry for the last minute notice on this one, but I wanted to encourage those in the Bay Area who might be interested to attend. The State Bar of California International Law Section is hosting “Careers in International Law” tomorrow (Tuesday, March 9, 2010) at 12:30 pm at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. More information after the jump.
Feb 14 2010
Just wanted to wish all of my readers a Happy New Year / Spring Festival 2010! (which brings us to the year of the tiger in our Chinese zodiac)
It’s been a crazy year so far and I’ve been overwhelmed with some interesting stuff at work: some cross-border M&A, foreign entity tax registrations, intellectual property strategy and enforcement, and plenty of contracts and agreements to keep me busy. I can only hope that all of you are having wonderful new years, with plenty of interesting work and issues, as well as a good week of rest (for those of you in China or Asia). Those of us in America wish we also had an entire week for spring festival too!
Feb 09 2010
Well, looks like Li Zhuang got 1 and 1/2 years after his appeal. (see my original post about defense lawyer tactics here) I suppose that’s better than 2 and 1/2 years, but I am still left wondering why in the world he even got a prison sentence. (again, see my original post)
Jan 29 2010
Yes, it’s that time of the year again. TechSoup Global (“TSG”), where I work, is actually looking to add a couple of Staff Attorney Fellows this year. Above the Law and other news outlets have been covering the news for 2010 law school graduates, and it looks a lot like 2009: deferred start dates and stipends of $60,000 to $75,000 to volunteer at a public interest organization.
Our selling point: how many non-profit orgs can offer you a chance to work on cutting edge international legal issues, in-house counsel corporate style experience, and a good environment in a sustainable, socially-minded enterprise business model? We’d like to think we’re the only one. More details after the jump.
Jan 01 2010
I wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year in 2010! May this year prove to be exciting and joyful for all of you. (especially for my regular readers!)
And here’s to hoping that readership at China Esquire: Law and Business Blog will continue to grow in the coming year. I want to become more active again, though it’s difficult with Baby China Esquire around–and either way, I don’t think I can match the rapid pace of my blogging activity in 2008. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.
Best wishes to you and your family & friends in 2010!
Dec 30 2009
Looks like Xinhua published its defense of the execution of a British mentally ill man in an article entitled “Experts defend China’s execution of British drug smuggler”. I’m actually glad they did–it makes it a lot easier to dissect. And for the poor professors (Mingliang Wang and Jinzhan Xue), I’m sorry, you lose and that’s just how the game is played.
Again, caveat: I normally don’t just go into attack mode like this anymore. (I don’t litigate on a regular basis anymore and I try to turn off this gear that’s internal to my brain) But if you want to read on, feel free.
Dec 29 2009
CNN just published an article, “China executes British citizen for drug smuggling”. I normally don’t try to weigh in and blatantly criticize the Chinese justice system despite certain corrupt documented incidents and obvious issues because it’s been improving over the years, and I have been hopeful that the rule of law has a chance to survive there. I am, however, severely disturbed about the recent execution of the mentally ill British man when there were obvious due process issues, despite The Global Times insisting that “the trial process was extremely careful”.
Dec 26 2009
Yes, a little late, but I just wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas. (Sheng Dan Kuai Le)
We just got back from Macau/Hong Kong a few days ago and remain very badly jetlagged. Baby China Esquire still doesn’t want to sleep at a bedtime in any U.S. timezone, making our holidays this year a little different.
Still, just wanted to wish everyone the best this holiday season and looking forward to 2010.
Dec 16 2009
Apparently, there is a crackdown on corrupt officials and organized crime in Chongqing. Others caught up in the sting? Defense lawyers. It’s like the tuna nets that end up picking up a few dolphins along the way. The only problem is this: the defense lawyer here is just doing his job. At least, he’s doing his job, in my opinion, as any normal defense advocate would do here.
The details after the jump.
Nov 28 2009
Was reading China Law Blog’s treatment of Chinese branding and trademarks here where Dan Harris takes issue with a Newsweek article, which states in part:
The simplest explanation for China’s failure to build global brands is cutthroat domestic competition. In most product categories, hundreds or thousands of firms compete for domestic market share, leaving profit margins razor thin. . . . And because foreign brands have taken much of the market’s high end, most companies are forced to compete on cost, leaving little room for investment in R&D or marketing. . . . Finally, the recent string of product recalls—including poisonous pet food and faulty tires—has left consumers wary of made-in-China goods.
Of course, I would take issue with this article as Dan does. His thoughts, and mine, after the jump.
Nov 26 2009
I just wanted to wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving 2009! I can’t believe that the time has flown by already and that the holiday season is already upon us in the U.S. I look forward to 2010, hopefully with more active posting and interesting tidbits about China, business, law, and non-profits/NGOs. Thank you to my readers who follow this blog, even in my more inactive times (due to Baby China Esquire being a fun handful), and for those of you who also picked up on my
twitter feed. I post regularly to twitter, so that’s probably a good place to follow me as well!
Oct 27 2009
Just saw this
article in Legal Week about Weil Gotshal poaching 2 corporate partners in Hong Kong. Seems like the perfect time to pick up some more partner level attorneys: when the economy is down, but supposedly getting better. Article after the jump.
