Our professionals have in-depth knowledge of the social and business practices of China and are experienced in a broad spectrum of business law disciplines. We can quickly address our clients’ needs and provide them with legally practical and culturally sensitive solutions.
Most attorneys have lived and worked in China. As a result, we offer an extensive network of legal, business and political relationships in China. These relationships, together with our experience, enable us to provide sound and practical advice in an often ambiguous regulatory environment.
 Y. Natalie Zhang
James R. Picker
Yaodong Chen
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Principal Attorney of U.S-China Law Counsel, Y. Natalie Zhang is licensed to practice law in California and also admitted to practice throughout China. Ms. Zhang practices in the areas of corporate, financing, real estate, immigration, business contracts, and employment laws. A majority of her clients are emerging growth and international enterprises in both high technology and traditional industries.
Prior to founding the firm, Ms. Zhang worked at the Beijing office of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, a New York-based large international law firm. Ms. Zhang participated in the firm’s representations of Huaneng, China largest power producer, in its public securities listing in New York Stock Exchange, a major U.S. sensitive film producer’s acquisition of China’s almost entire sensitive film industry, the contract dispute between a large U.S. gasoline company and a Chinese offshore company, and the U.S. and Canadian companies’ anti-dumping lawsuits again several Chinese newspaper pulp factories.
Ms. Zhang also worked at the Bay Area offices of Morrison and Foerster LLP, and Pillsbury Winthrop LLP – both are large international law firms. At these firms, she continued her legal career in the areas of public securities offerings, venture financing, corporate governance, and international joint ventures.
A native of Beijing, Ms. Zhang speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese and has strong ties with Chinese business communities in both China and the Bay Area. She alsofrequently provides consultations with regard to Chinese laws tolaw firms in the San Francisco Bay Area. Ms. Zhang is a published author in California Lawyer magazine, a well-known legal magazine in the United States.
PRACTICING AREAS
Corporate Governance
Foreign Investment
Joint Venture Setup
Mergers & Acquisitions
Real Estate Investment
Immigration
EDUCATION
University of San Diego School of Law (LL.M), 2000
Beijing Union University, China (LL.B), 1992
BAR ADMISSIONS
State Bar of California, 2001
National Bar of the People’s Republic of China, 1995
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
National Bar Association of China, Member
American Bar Association, Member
State Bar of California, Member
Bar Association of San Francisco (BASF), Member
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENTS
BASF Volunteer Legal Services Program, Serving the Bay Area Low-Income Individuals and Non-profit organizations, Volunteer Attorney
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Author, “Complying with Chinese Anti-Bribery Laws,” California Lawyer, January 2004
LANGUAGES
English
Chinese (Mandarin)
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James R. Picker is licensed to practice in California and Illinois. Mr. Picker’s practice has a strong focus on Asia-related international business law, and he had extensive experience working in Vietnam. Mr. Picker’s international legal experience includes drafting joint venture agreements, representing business clients in international mergers and acquisition, negotiating international business deals, and acting as a mediator in trade disputes.
Clients Mr. Picker has represented, for example, a major U.S. company in a $130 million transaction that involved extension of a telecommunications cable from Hong Kong, China, to Vietnam, a major U.S. company in its acquisition of a German telecommunications company. Mr. Picker has advised and represented several companies in international trade transactions between U.S. and Asian companies. Mr. Picker also has advised foreign governments in drafting statutes and civil law and procedure. For example, Mr. Picker drafted a proposed Social Insurance Act for Viet Nam as well as advised the Vietnamese government regarding civil remedies.
Mr. Picker received his Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from of the University of Illinois College of Law, and Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Transnational Business Practice from the McGeorge School of Law in conjunction with the University of Salzburg in Austria. In the Master of Laws program, Mr. Picker graduated with an “A” average and received numerous academic awards. These included the highest grades in the Comparative Intellectual Property, Commercial Arbitration, International Insolvency and European Union law courses.
Mr. Picker is currently an Of Counsel of the firm.
PRACTICING AREAS
International Law and Transactions
Business Litigation
Commercial and Corporate Law
Foreign Investment and Trade
Foreign Development
EDUCATION
McGeorge School of Law/University of Salzburg (LL.M.), 2005
University of Illinois College of Law (Juris Doctor), 1987
BAR ADMISSIONS
State Bar of California
State Bar of Illinois
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
American Bar Association, International and Antitrust Law Section and Litigation Sections, Member
California Bar Association, Member
Illinois Bar Association, Member
LANGUAGES
English
French
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Mr. Chen is licensed to practice law in both California and China. While working in China, Mr. Chen served as the Associate Director of the Policy Research Department of City Council of Handan City, Hebei Province in China, and the Managing Attorney of Beijing Guotai Law Firm. Mr. Chen’s U.S. experience included professional positions at Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP and Caesar & Napoli LLP, both are New York-based international law firms. He is also alicensed patent attorney admitted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Mr. Chen is experienced in handling U.S. patent application, prosecution and litigation matters, particularly in the areas of chemical, pharmaceutical and biotech arts. As a attorney familiar with Chinese patent law, Mr. Chen adds special values to clients whose business concerns Chinese intellectual property laws.
A native of China, Mr. Chen is fluent in Mandarin Chinese. Mr. Chen currently serves as an Of Counsel of the firm.
PRACTICING AREAS
U.S. patent law
Patent related litigation
Alternative Dispute Resolution
EDUCATION
Long Island University, Brooklyn, New York, M.S. (Chemistry), 2005
University of San Francisco School of Law (LL.M), 2000
China Youth College for Political Sciences, China (LL.B), 1991
BAR ADMISSIONS
National Bar Association of China, 1994
State Bar of California, 2003
U.S. Patent Bar, 2005
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
American Bar Association, IP Law Section, Member
Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Member
Food and Drug Administration Regulatory Affairs Professional Society, Member
LANGUAGES
English
Chinese (Mandarin)
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