Curtis to Open New Office in Beijing

Beijing, China, February 26, 2014 — Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP (Curtis) has announced the opening of a Beijing Representative Office (BRO) effective March 1, 2014. Beijing becomes the international law firm's 16th office globally — and its first in East Asia.

The Curtis Beijing office will be led initially by international trade partners William Barringer and Daniel Porter and will include two senior associates and two trade analysts, three of whom are Chinese nationals.

The focus of the office in the near term will be primarily on international trade matters. Curtis is consistently ranked among the global leaders in international trade, including by Chambers Asia-Pacific, Legal 500 and Law360, which recently named Curtis' International Trade group as Practice Group of the Year for the second straight year. Curtis' international trade lawyers have been representing Chinese interests on trade matters for the past 10 years.

“We are excited to expand into one of the world's most important markets,” said George Kahale III, chairman of Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle. “Curtis has already established a strong base of clients in East Asia, particularly in international trade. This move will enable Curtis to strengthen those relationships and serve as a base to introduce some of our other leading global practices, such as oil and gas, investor-state arbitration, commercial arbitration, foreign direct investment and public international law, to China and the entire region.”

The two associate attorneys in the Curtis Beijing office will be Li Yu, who has worked with Curtis' international trade practice in both Washington and China, and Antonio Riva Palacio Lavin, who has worked in the firm's Mexico City and New York offices specializing in international arbitration, trade and foreign direct investment.

“Curtis brings to Beijing a strong track record of representing both Chinese companies and the Government of China in global trade disputes,” said Mr. Barringer. “Our direct presence in Beijing will enable us to work more directly with this important client base and to introduce Curtis to potential clients throughout China and Asia.”

Curtis will be located in Beijing in the China Life Tower in the Chaoyang District (5/F-C1, No. 16 Chaowai Street, Beijing, 100020).

Curtis' phone number in the Chinese capital will be (010) 5877 1630. The fax number will be (010) 5877 1640. The Curtis Beijing office will have a dedicated email: beijing@curtis.com.

Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP is a leading international law firm providing a broad range of services to clients around the world. Curtis has 16 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East as well as Central and East Asia. The firm's international orientation has been a hallmark of its practice for nearly two centuries. For more information about Curtis, please visit www.curtis.com.