GZA Seminar
On June 1st, 2010, Wenfei's Lukas Zuest and Cheng Chen attended the Greater Zurich Area (GZA) Seminar "Zurich, the Springboard for your expansion to Europe" in the Swiss City Pavilion at the site of Shanghai World Expo 2010. This Seminar introduced the advantages of Great Zurich Area for the expansion to Europe to Chinese enterprises. Around 30 distinguished Chinese representatives of Chinese enterprises were present. For the interview by STV (Shanghai TV) of Mrs. Sonja Wollkopf (CEO of GZA) and Mr. Urs Tobler (Director Asia), Wenfei's Cheng Chen was asked to help as Chinese-German interpreter. He gladely assumed this task (see photo).
New Politician in our Team
We cordially congratulate our Mattea Meyer, who has been elected as councillor of the City Council of Winterthur, which is the legislation body of the second biggest city in the economically strongest canton of Switzerland. We are very proud to have such a young and determined politician in our team.
Chinas new Patent Law and Implementation Rules
Wenfei Law has recently informed clients and other relevant enterprises about important changes in PRC Law. The purpose of such information (see below’s link) was to provide them with a briefing of China's 3rd revision of its Patent Law and the substantial impacts it may have on the regular business practices of a European company active in China.
Invitation of economiesuisse and the Switzerland-China Chamber of Commerce to the Dinner with the Chinese Vice Prime Minister, S.E. Li Keqiang
Dr. Paul Thaler, Partner of Wenfei Law, is invited to participate in a dinner of the economiesuisse and the Switzerland-China Chamber of Commerce with the Chinese Vice Prime Minister, S.E. LI Keqiang. The dinner is planned with high-ranking representatives of the Swiss economy and will take place on Monday, 25 January 2010 in Zurich.
New Legal Trainee in Shanghai Office
We welcome our new legal trainee Philipp Kuhn, who holds a degree in law from Eberhard Karls University of Tuebingen, Germany. After graduation in 2008, Philipp Kuhn has worked with German district courts, the public prosecutor of Stuttgart and a law firm in Stuttgart.
Expo 2010 Shanghai: Roofing Ceremony of the Swiss Pavilion
On 23 October 2009, the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs invited for the Roofing Ceremony of the Swiss Pavilion EXOP 2010 Shanghai. Federal Councillor Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, Head of the Swiss Federal Department of Justice and Police (EJPD), was guest of honor. The ceremony was also attended by the Swiss Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China Mr. Blaise Godet and a delegation from the Swiss Federal Parliament, led by National Councillor Bruno Zuppiger.
The Swiss Pavilion will have the theme “Rural – Urban Interaction”. In her speech, Mrs. Federal Councillor Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf pointed out that “the Swiss are strongly aware of the benefits of a close interaction between rural and urban areas. This is natural, as Switzerland is small, mountainous and densely inhabited and has a solid rural tradition alongside thriving cities. We have the duty to find sustainable ways of protecting and conserving our natural heritage - while improving living conditions in urban areas.”
After the official program of the Roofing Ceremony, which was concluded with the traditional raising of the tree to the roof top, Swiss Raclette and Wine were served to the guests.
Wenfei’s Mr. Lukas Zuest felt honored to having witnessed the Roofing Ceremony of the Swiss Pavilion EXPO 2010 Shanghai.
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Federal Councillor Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf and Mr. Huang Jianzhi, Deputy Director General, Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination (Picture: www.swisspavilion.ch).
Swissnex Shanghai: Discussion Evening on Sino-Swiss artistic exchange with Uli Sigg
Swissnex Shanghai and Pro Helvetia celebrated their 1st anniversary of co-operation and Pro Helvetia’s publication “Passages China” and therefore invited for a discussion evening on Sino-Swiss artistic exchange with Uli Sigg, Chinese Contemporary Art Collector and Swiss Friendship Ambassador to China, and guests.
Wenfei’s Mr. Paul Thaler, Mrs. Wang Hui and Mr. Lukas Zuest attended this enjoyable discussion on 21 October, 2009 at the Minsheng Art Museum Shanghai.
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Paul Thaler, Managing Partner Wenfei Law, Mr. Thomas Wagner, former Mayor of the City of Zurich and Mrs. Flavia Schegel, Executive Director Swissnex Shanghai. (from left to right), (Picture; www. swissnexshanghai.org).
Publication: "China Business Law"
Congratulations to Dr. Paul Thaler, Partner of Wenfei, who has been requested by a leading Swiss publisher for legal matters to write a book on PRC business law. The result of this joint effort of Wenfei Attorneys-at-Law Ltd. with Dr. Thaler as the chief editor will be published on 2nd February 2009.
In this book, we focus on the most important laws and rules that govern business in China. With regard to the structure of our explanations, we rely on the traditional structure of continental law. Where necessary, however, we have introduced special chapters that take into account the unique features of Chinese law (i.e. State-owned entities (SoE), Land Use Rights, Foreign Exchange Control).
The content of this book shall facilitate the understanding of Chinese Business Law for foreign legal professionals, managers as well as students.
Incidental Expenses
For many years, Wenfei Law has not charged its clients with all of the specific expenses and costs related to their mandate (i.e. IT and telecom costs, couriers, copies and even flights). Instead, a lump sum fee of 2% on the respective service fee was charged in the invoices of Wenfei Law. Starting from 2009, such fee for incidental expenses shall be 3%.
This first increase since two years is not only caused by ever increasing costs for flights, telecommunications and office costs in China but also by the increasing amount of Wenfei invoices that become subject to 5% business Tax in China. While we so far, unlike other firms, have not asked clients to reimburse such business tax, we might reconsider after the first half year of 2009.