4. 2
About Us
A
&Z Law Firm is a full-service law firm
founded in 2004. Our firm is committed
to the needs and circumstances of
our clients in both China and abroad. We are
constantly evolving to fulfil the requirements of
the global market in the 21st
century.
At A&Z, we have extensive experience of
providing high standards and effective services in
all major areas of business law. A quick response
with a reasonable cost.
Our main principle is the following: “We exist
to respond to our clients’ needs”. We support
our clients to achieve their goals and ambitions
through a deep market knowledge, broad legal
expertise and mindful insights. The firm acts for
permanent corporate entities such as publicly
listed companies, SMEs, and private clients across
a diverse range of industry sectors.
Our headquarters is located in central
Shanghai. We have established representative
offices in Beijing, Wuhan and Dalian. A&Z also
have a representative office in Tokyo, ready to
help you wherever your business takes you. A new
office will soon be opened in Guangzhou with the
aim of assisting all our clients across China and
leveraging our capabilities.
5. 3A&Z LAW FIRM
A Complete Service to Your Individual Solution
Our Name
Chinese Concept
The name of 里格, Lǐ gé, comes from the English
word ‘League’, defined as a collection of people,
countries, or groups that combine for mutual
protection or cooperation. In its archaic form,
‘League’ also means an agreement or alliance.
The character of 里, Lǐ, comes from the Analects
of Confucius, one of the Five classics of Confucian
literature. 里仁为美 (Lǐ rén wéi měi) means using
a benevolent method to develop the qualities of
a humane person, and to conduct yourself in a
righteous manner.
The character, 格, gé, comes from the Classic
of Rites (礼记, lǐjì), 格物致知 (géwù zhìzhī) is
interpreted as the investigation of all practices
and the expansion of knowledge by understanding
ourselves, and trying to observe and discover
the principles of how things work with honesty.
There is a direct connection between moral and
empirical knowledge of the world.
English Concept
A&Z comes from the English idiom “A to Z”, which
means from the very beginning to the very end;
covering or regarding the entire possible range or
scope, including all the facts about a subject.
A&Z believes that excellent legal knowledge
is not itself enough to satisfy clients’ needs. It
must be combined with outstanding experts from
different industries creating a team. A cross-
cultural and multidisciplinary team is the best way
to provide high-quality and efficient services to all
our customers.
2011:
Establishment of
Wuhan office
2013:
Establishment of
Dalian office
2015:
Establishment of Tokyo
and Beijing offices
2004:
Creation of
A&Z Law Firm
Milestones in Our History
6. 4
What Makes Us Stand Out!
10AREASOF
PRACTICE
5 LANGUAGES
50 STAFF300FIRST-CLASS GLOBAL CLIENTS
INBUSINESSLAW
7 SENIOR PARTNERS
25 ATTORNEYS5 OFFICES
7. 5A&Z LAW FIRM
A Complete Service to Your Individual Solution
Our specialist team offers a comprehensive
tailored service to cover all of your needs. With
the purpose of maintaining our outstanding
results, our professional team assesses, reviews
and appraises clients’ needs on a regular basis to
constantly improve.
Above all, the work we do for our clients
and what we stand for is driven by our global
business principles: trust, respect, integrity,
professionalism, passion.
The distinctive features of our commitment
across all cases are:
1. Rapid and effective response: flexible services
tailored to the individual;
2. Services with international standards: high
quality of services and consistent track record of
success;
3. Legal excellence: in-depth expertise;
4. Close relationship with key governmental
institutions: absolute discretion;
5. Reasonable costs.
8. 6
Our Clients
W
e are devoted to delivering first class
representation and aim to provide the
highest international standards of legal
services to our clients across our practice. To
leverage strong client relationships is always our
priority.
For us, achieving this is not just a matter of
technical capability; it is also about understanding
the details of our clients’ requirements and core
businesses in order to deliver the best quality and
most effective services.
Werepresentadiversepoolofclientsincluding
multi-national corporations, publicly listed
companies, SMEs, private clients, developers, and
other commercial real estate ventures.
A&Z clients come from a varied range of
industries such as manufacturing (machinery,
electronics, paper, clothing, etc.), trade and retail,
information and high technology, advertising,
logistics, banking, pharmaceutical, chemical,
automotive, high technology, among others.
We understand the challenges of the global
economy because we are at the forefront of
its evolution. We share an uncompromising
commitment to excellence combined with
a teamwork culture that provides the best
environment to deliver a service tailored to the
requirements of global clients.
9. 7A&Z LAW FIRM
A Complete Service to Your Individual Solution
Awards
Advanced Team in
Judicial Administrative
System in Shanghai.
2014 by the Bureau of
Justice
Model Organization
in Jing’an.
2013-2014 by Jing’an
District Bureau of Justice
Outstanding Law Firm of
Jing’an
2012-2014 by Jing’an
District Bureau of Justice
One of the 2009-2011
top 10 Law Firms in
Shanghai
2009-2011 by the Bureau
of Justice
Most Outstanding Law
Firm of Shanghai
2012-2014 by the Bureau
of Justice
10. 8
7 Senior Partners
The senior partners are
committed to providing you
with the most effective service
in the most efficient manner.
Each of our partners has many
years of experience advising
clients on business law.
Several have worked as in-
house attorneys, and therefore
have a particular appreciation
of the needs of our corporate
clients.
Dr. Sophie An
Managing Partner
Co-founder
Areas of expertise: foreign direct investment,
customs, labour and employment, corporate
governance and compliance.
While attending law school in Japan, she worked
in various Japanese law firms and patent offices.
She also earned work experience at Yi Shi Law
Firm, Sinclair Roche & Temperley and Tian Lun
Law Firm in Shanghai, until 2004, when she co-
founded A&Z Law Firm. Sophie has experience in
corporate governance and compliance; designing,
establishing and supervising the implementation
of grievance handling procedures and internal
investigation mechanisms; and providing legal risk
management training.
Sophie is a member of the All-China
Bar Association and the Shanghai Political
Consultative Committee (CPPCC), and she has
been appointed as a Customs Special Controller
by Shanghai Customs. She possesses a deep
understanding of the development and application
of Chinese law.
Sophie has been awarded numerous prestigious
rewards such as “Top 30 Oriental Lawyers” by
Shanghai Bar Association and “Top Ten Lawyers
of Shanghai” by Wen Wei Po in 2007.
Who Is Behind Us
11. 9A&Z LAW FIRM
A Complete Service to Your Individual Solution
Vincent Zhu
Founding Partner
MBA (Partner)
Co-founder
Eric Zhang
Founding Partner
MA (Partner)
Co-founder
Areas of expertise: foreign direct investment,
mergers and adquisitions, Investment,
Litigation, Arbitration and Dispute Resolution.
Vincent started his legal career at Shanghai Yi
Shi Law Firm in 1999 and later on at Tian Lun
Law Firm. In 2004, he co-founded A&Z Law
Firm. Vincent has represented and advised
numerous corporates, both international and
Chinese, for more than 16 years. He has acted
as counsel to enterprises and international
institutions on legal services in a variety of
industries. He has also represented many of them
in litigation and arbitration and been appointed
as legal counsel. Vincent is a member of the All-
China Bar Association.
Vincent was awarded the “Outstanding Lawyer
2012-2014” award by the Jing’an District Bureau
of Justice of Shanghai.
Areas of expertise: intellectual property
rights, foreign investment, and general
corporate practices.
Eric initially worked at Yi Shi Law Firm and De
Shang Law Firm in Shanghai. In 2004, he co-
founded A&Z Law Firm. He has represented
both multi-national firms and SMEs on a variety
of corporate transactions. Eric has more than
15 years’ experience working with clients in
China on IP rights, patents, and trademarks,
among other matters. He became a member of
the All-China Bar Association in 1999, and later
became a member of the Intellectual Property
Specialized Research Committee of the
Shanghai Bar Association.
Eric has been awarded the “Outstanding Lawyer
for Dispute Resolution 2009-2011” by the
Jing’an District Bureau of Justice of Shanghai.
12. 10
Ricky Li
BA (Partner)
Areas of expertise: FDI, corporate
governance, M&A, foreign investment, and
foreign exchange administration.
Ricky started to work at Tian Lun Law Firm
in 2003, and joined A&Z the following year.
He became a partner in 2012. Ricky has large
experience in different areas of practices such as
establishment of joint ventures, companies and
other forms of domestic and foreign investments,
as well as advice and negotiation of mergers
and acquisitions, etc. He assists multinational
corporations in a number of complex foreign
investments projects and business transactions
in China. He also counsels on import and export
registration and licenses. Ricky is a member of the
All-China Bar Association.
Peter Zeng
BA (Partner)
Areas of expertise: human resources, labour and
employment law, corporate compliance, foreign
investment and related dispute resolutions.
Peter started his legal career in 2004 when
joining A&Z, becoming a partner in 2011. With
more than 10 years’ experience, he is an expert
in labour and employment law; reduction in
work force and employee transfer; corporate
restructuring; social security and MKT Claim/
AIC, and prevention and monitoring tools for
mitigating compliance risks in China. He has
represented clients in settlement, arbitration
and litigation of labour disputes as well as
assisting clients in dealing with emergencies and
crises. Peter is a member of the All-China Bar
Association.
Peterwasawardedthe"OutstandingYoung
LawyerofJing’anDistrict,Shanghai2009-2011".
13. 11A&Z LAW FIRM
A Complete Service to Your Individual Solution
Karen Yin
MA (Partner)
Andrew Zhang
MA (Partner)
Areas of expertise: intellectual property
rights, environment law, industrial security law,
general corporate work.
From 1986 to 1994, Karen worked at Shanghai
Communications Administration, at several
patent offices and Yoshioka Gyosei-Shoshi Office
in Japan and law firms in China. In 2009, she
joined A&Z, where she has represented domestic
and multinational companies to secure and
enforcetheirintellectualpropertyrights,tohandle
legal proceedings relating to patents, trademarks,
and trade secrets in a wide range of industries,
and to manage infringement. Karen has also
further experience in environmental law and new
production safety law. She is a member of the All-
China Bar Association.
Areas of expertise: customs, import &
export, M&A, litigation, arbitration and dispute
resolution.
Andrew worked first in Shanghai Jinghong
International Logistics Co. In 2006, he practised
at Angela Luo & Co., and in 2009 he joined A&Z.
During his legal career, he has been committed
to providing all types of corporate law services,
particularly on import and export matters,
international trade, and foreign exchange
administration. Andrew has an impressive
record in the acquisition of large logistics and
telecoms companies. He has represented various
multinational corporations in arbitration and
litigation cases. Andrew is a member of the All-
China Bar Association.
14. 12
Our People
A&Z is complemented by a team of experts currently consisting
attorneys, legal practitioners, and business analysts. Together,
we form a strong, powerful team that cautiously, innovatively
and determinedly pursues your interests.
15. 13A&Z LAW FIRM
A Complete Service to Your Individual Solution
A
&Z’s lawyers obtained their diplomas
from prestigious Chinese and
international universities. Many of our
senior partners and lawyers have worked at major
international law firms in the United Kingdom,
Hong Kong and Japan.
Ourlawyersareuprightprofessionals,givingour
clientsinsightsintothelocalbusinessenvironment
alongsideA&Zexpertiseinmultiplejurisdictions.
A&Zcultivatesthecommercialpragmatism,as
well as culture, technical and interpersonal skills
required for delivering world-class solutions to the
requirements of multinational clients. We provide
unique professional development opportunities.
Our clients have high expectations of us. To
meet these expectations, we recruit the best and
hardest-working people and develop them to
perform to the highest level. At the same time,
our staff undertake regular training courses to
keep abreast of China’s regulation, market and
finance changes.
A&Z also offers scholarships and prizes to
the leading law schools in Shanghai, bringing
and enriching a unique opportunity to improve
young distinguished students’ professional skills.
These programs provide an excellent pool of the
best students and offer them the opportunity to
become part of A&Z.
Our training and mentoring programs provide
our lawyers with good development opportunities
and strengthen their professional – and personal –
competencies.
16. 14
Areas of Practice
A&Z has four strong research teams
divided into the following areas:
O
ver the years, we have developed and
maintained good relationships with
various government departments,
legal research institutions, and enterprises
enabling us to understand the development and
implementation of Chinese law. These resources
bring us the opportunity to talk with the key
stakeholders, and therefore, to be more effective in
solving our clients’ legal and business needs.
Our expertise on FDI, M&A, finance, capital
markets, labour and employment, compliance,
intellectual property rights, anti-trust, dispute
resolution, taxation and real estate, conveys
tranquility to our clients as it ensures that their
preferences will be met in a cost-efficient method
within a single law firm.
This method of work is at the core of the firm’s
principles to build trusted relationships with its
international clients and partners.
➊ FDI; M&A; and finance
➋ Labour and employment; taxation; and real
estate
➌ IP/patents/trademarks; customs / imports
and exports
➍ Corporate compliance; litigation,
arbitration and dispute resolution
Fromund
erstandingtohan
dling
From the fi
rststeptothelast
detail
Fromliste
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Fromresear
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enting
17. 15A&Z LAW FIRM
A Complete Service to Your Individual Solution
A&Z offers a complete package of services for
businessesthatwishtoformand/orrunacompany
registered in China. Our firm has over the years
successfully advised a significant number of both
multinationals and domestic companies investing
in China and receiving investments from their
foreign peers.
Foreign direct investment requires an
integrated solution; from the first step – initial
planning and due diligence – through to the
conclusion of the investment process. At A&Z, we
have worked on many high profile projects in a
wide range of industries.
We assist our clients with the following
services:
• Determining the initial investment planning and
due diligence;
• Designing the most effective investment
structures;
Foreign Direct Investment
(FDI)
• Evaluating potential business partners and
locations on target companies or assets;
• Applying and fill out all documents and
feasibility study reports;
• Drafting, negotiating and reviewing company
creation and transactional documents for joint
ventures, wholly-foreign owned enterprises
or other forms of corporate entities for foreign
investment;
• Completing the procedure for government
approval and registration of the company;
• Applying for operation licenses according to
industry requirements;
• Monitoring on-going legal compliance advice in
areas including corporate governance, customs,
tax and labour;
• Assisting in restructuring, dissolution and
liquidation of our clients’ business in order to
safeguard against possible pitfalls.
ChrisDavis
01
18. 16
A&Z represents our clients in order to secure
and enforce their Intellectual Property (IP)
rights. We have substantial experience in
advising both foreign and Chinese companies
on administrative matters and legal procedures
involving patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade
secrets and unfair competition in a wide range
of industries.
We have previously advised our clients in a
full range of areas, such as:
• Strategy design for intellectual property rights
protection and risk management measures;
• Technology contract questions;
Bilderandi,pixabay.com
Intellectual
Property Rights
• Trademark and patent information retrieval
and application;
• Copyright registration;
• Protection of trade secrets and other unfair
competition matters;
• Transfer and license of intellectual property
rights, in addition to all legal documents
required;
• Intellectual property rights administrative
scrutiny and protection;
• Intellectual property rights infringement
investigation and perpetuation of evidence;
• Dispute resolution relating to intellectual
property rights.
02
19. 17A&Z LAW FIRM
A Complete Service to Your Individual Solution
WithChina’seconomyintegratingintotheworld
economy,mergerandacquisitiontransactionshave
becomeaneffectivetooltogainstrategicpresence
intheevolvingmarket.Currently,largeand
innovativetransactionstaketheformofmergers,
acquisitions,strategicalliances,jointventuresand
restructuring.
Inotherwords,M&Aisanimportanttool
forbusinesstransfers,increasingthevalueof
companiesthroughsynergiesinordertostreamline
andincreaseproductivity,andtobolsterabusiness
unitbyacquiringagrowingcompany.
A&Zadvisesclientsontheirstrategicand
challengingtransactions,particularlyintheChinese
market.Wewillfirstensurethatweunderstand
yourmotivesforenteringintothetransactionand
thescaleofit.Wethencounselyouonlegalmatters
andidentifytherequisitedealstructuresinacost-
efficientwaywithinasinglelawfirm.
M&A/
Corporate Restructuring
We provide professional services in the
following areas:
• Advising and negotiating mergers and
acquisitions by and between international and
domestic companies;
• Conducting legal due diligence investigations;
• Designingandoptimizingtransactionstructures
and providing legal and feasibility advice;
• Negotiating, drafting and reviewing equity and
asset acquisition, merger, spin-off and related
agreements and other legal documents;
• Designing labour and tax strategies, and
providing solutions to labour and tax problems
encountered in mergers and acquisitions;
• Carrying out administrative filings, approvals,
registrations and related procedures
of government bodies, and assisting in
coordination and communication with relevant
government authorities.
03
TomEversley
20. 18
A&Z is mindful of the serious impact disputes
have on our clients’ businesses, and we therefore
strive to achieve our clients’ requirements in
this burdensome matter. We fully understand
that reputation matters in business, therefore
we strive to protect your reputation from any
possible damage.
A&Z possesses great experience in arbitration,
mediation and dispute resolution, as well as other
Alternative Dispute Resolution methods (ADR).
Our group of experienced lawyers provides
the most suitable solution for every client’s needs.
We provide high quality, zealous representation
for all clients from the initial consultation through
all stages of trial practice and appeal, to resolve
disputes with an emphasis on personal and
professional integrity.
A&Z provides an amalgam of litigation and
alternative dispute resolution services,
which include, but are not limited to:
• Collecting evidences and conducting
investigations;
• Comparing before litigation and assessing
preservation actions;
• Formulating constructive and practical dispute
avoidance schemes;
• Advising on arbitration and litigation strategies;
• Dealing with bankruptcy and corporate
restructuring;
• Representing clients throughout the litigation
and arbitration process;
• Handling administrative disputes regarding
tax, customs, industry and commerce, quality
inspection, punishment and other related
disputes;
• Representation in court.
Litigation, Arbitration
and Resolution Disputes04
21. 19A&Z LAW FIRM
A Complete Service to Your Individual Solution
With a deep understanding of investors and
proprietors’ preferences about corporate
governance to conduct business in strict
compliance with laws and regulations, A&Z
provides full-scale legal services to reduce
transaction risks, as well as liability of clients,
investors and proprietors. In doing so, we tap into
the wealth of experience of our lawyers across the
practice areas of our firm.
In addition, A&Z is also aware that to strictly
comply with rapidly changing Chinese laws and
regulations, a series of factors need to be taken
into consideration. Among those factors are
commercial codes of conduct, organizational
structure and industrial characteristics, social
environments, and local countries’ specific
characteristics, among others. The above factors,
in certain circumstances, may conflict with each
other,generatingmorecomplexityanduncertainty
regarding corporate governance.
We help our clients to implement their
compliance rules, to promote their business
Bilderandi,pixabay.com
operations in accordance with Chinese and
international laws, and to maintain adequate
standards by monitoring possible conflicts.
We regularly advise boards and board
committees, executive officers and
other members of management, and
shareholders regarding:
• Risk management for commercial transactions;
• The design and improvement of the corporate
management structure;
• Composition and procedures for shareholder
meetings, boards of directors and committees;
• Operational guidelines for corporate
management, codes of conduct and any other
internal rules and regulations;
• The implementation of grievance procedures
and internal investigation mechanisms;
• Risk management training;
• Legal scrutiny service to ensure that clients’
business is conducted in accordance with the
law and standards.
Corporate Governance
and Compliance05
22. 20
Employment and labour disputes have become
one of the major concerns for any company.
We have a strong team focusing on all types of
employment matters.
At A&Z, we assist our clients in establishing
labour management systems and effectively
handling human resources issues to minimize and
avoid potential labour disputes. We respond to
the needs of publicly and privately held businesses
ranging from the largest companies to the smallest
start-ups, maintaining the level of quality at every
point of contact.
The main services provided cover:
• Employee transfer, lay-offs and displacements
in corporate acquisitions, liquidations and
restructuring proceedings;
• Contract and agreement drafting or reviewing:
labour contracts, service agreements, labour
dispatch contracts, confidentiality agreements,
training agreements, etc.;
• Labour protection, social insurance, work-
related injuries and occupational diseases;
• Employee manuals and company rules and
regulations;
• Collective labour contracts and labour union;
• Labour law compliance;
• Litigation and arbitration relating to labour and
employment questions.
Labour and Employment/
Social Security06
quanjing.cn
23. 21A&Z LAW FIRM
A Complete Service to Your Individual Solution
The financial services industry has never been
more complex. Markets and products evolve
daily against a continually developing regulatory
backdrop.
A&Z has a substantial financial service
practice with long experience of advising both
domestic and foreign financial institutions with
legal services. We have established long-term
and stable cooperation with a number of foreign-
invested banks, institutions and organizations
to provide our clients with a full range of legal
services to meet their financial demands.
Finance
We carry out enquires relating to:
• General banking business;
• Project finance;
• Import and export credit facilities;
• Real estate finance;
• Syndicated loans;
• Debt and equity restructuring.
07
quanjing.cn
24. 22
International trade consists of exchanging capital,
goods, and services across international borders.
However, business standards, requirements and
regulatory provisions may differ from one country
to another.
Import and export goods and services are
an important aspect of China’s open-economy
policy. International trade related to the Chinese
market involves the Customs Administration, the
Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, the Foreign
Exchange Administration and other government
bodies. Customs clearance agencies, logistics
and transportation companies, and financial
institutions are all elements of the complex legal
matters that our clients have to deal with.
To this end, we carry out investigation
reports and provide professional legal advice.
Our team has significant experience helping both
foreign and domestic companies to comply with
Chinese regulations. In addition, we have also
developed and maintained good relationships
with government departments and enterprises
enabling us to communicate and discuss with the
SamLeVan
key stakeholders to address our clients’ needs
effectively.
We assist you to take a more proactive role by
ensuring your products are in full compliance with
Chinese laws, regulations and standards.
Our services include, but are not limited to,
the following:
• Customs commodity classification;
• Customs control over goods, and import and
export licences;
• Contracts for international trade;
• Dispute resolution concerning import and
export transactions;
• Toll manufacturing;
• Free trade zone policies;
• Import and export commodity inspection;
• Tax issues for import and export transactions;
• Export tariff rebate policies;
• Administrative penalties from customs;
• Customs protection of intellectual property
rights;
• Payment and settlement of foreign exchange.
Customs/Imports and Exports/
Foreign Exchange08
25. 23A&Z LAW FIRM
A Complete Service to Your Individual Solution
With the relevant corporate taxation regulations
and the repeal of many favourable provisions
for taxpayers in an ever-changing state of flux,
we aim to keep up-to-date with amendments in
order to ensure that the advice we give is reliable
and current.
A&Z cooperates with some prominent
accounting firms to provide professional tax
counseling.
We advise clients both on pre-investment
and post-investment tax issues. We provide
assistance in the following topics:
• Advising on understanding and implementing
preferential tax policies;
• Guiding on Chinese tax implications and
financial risks of foreign direct investments, and
mergers and acquisitions;
quanjing.cn
• Counseling on Chinese customs duty, value
added tax, business tax, enterprise income tax,
among other tax issues;
• Providing individual investors, proprietors
and senior managers with personal income tax
counseling;
• Advising on bilateral tax treaties and Chinese
tax law issues involved in import and export
trading, and cross-border transactions.
Taxation09
26. 24
Use of land and ownership is an integral part of
everyone’s personal and business life. Real estate
transactions may be as simple as a transfer deed or
they might be complex business deals.
At A&Z, we have substantial hands-on
experience in a large number of real estate
development, construction and investment
projects, both in China and overseas.
Consequently, we can bring you the collective
knowledge of a group of lawyers who have
experience of the full spectrum of real estate
transactions for our clients.
SamuelZeller
Our core specialities include:
• Dealing with assignment and transfer of land-
use rights;
• Advising on bidding and preparation of legal
documents relating to supervision, design,
procurement, construction, inspection and
project management;
• Advising on property sale, lease and
management.
Real Estate10
27. 25A&Z LAW FIRM
A Complete Service to Your Individual Solution
SHANGHAI (HQ)
Okura Garden Hotel
6th
floor South Maoming
Road 58 Shanghai,
P.R.China 200020
Tel: +86-21 5466 5477
Fax: +86-21 5466 5977
TOKYO
Shinkokusai building,
7th
Floor 3-4-1
Marunouchi,
Chiyodaku, Tokyo
Tel: +81-3 6269 9307
WUHAN
Ping An Building
Nº21 Nº6 Room,
Zhongshan Avenue
888, Nº888, Wuhan,
P.R.China 430015
Tel: +86-27 8342 6645
DALIAN
Sen Mao Tower,
Room 2104
Zhongshan Road 147
Dalian, P.R.China
116011
Tel: +86-411 8367 1783
BEIJING
DRC Office Building
Tower E, Room 1710
Donfang Dong Road 19
Beijing, P.R.China
Tel: +86-10 8531 7348
