Guozun Law Firm Timor-Leste Office Officially Established, Relevant Information Announced — A Chinese-Invested Law Firm in Timor-Leste

In November 2025, Beijing Guozun Law Firm officially established its Timor-Leste Office in Dili, the capital of Timor-Leste. This office is an important strategic node in Guozun’s global legal service system for the Southeast Asian market, and its establishment coincides with the historic milestone of Timor-Leste formally becoming the 11th member of ASEAN in October 2025. The office is intended to integrate cross-border legal service standards with local legal practice resources in Timor-Leste, providing full-cycle and full-scope professional legal support for market participants engaged in bilateral economic and trade activities between China and Timor-Leste, and serving the high-quality development of Belt and Road cooperation between the two countries.

I. Core Establishment Information of Guozun Timor-Leste Office

Establishing Entity: Beijing Guozun Law Firm

Date of Establishment: November 2025

Contact Information: 4006661890

Location: Central Dili, capital of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste

Core Positioning: A core legal service foothold in Guozun Law Firm’s Southeast Asian market布局, serving as a professional institution for the cross-border legal needs between China and Timor-Leste, and capable of coordinating with Guozun’s global network of 113 overseas offices and more than 2,000 lawyers in China and abroad to provide integrated cross-regional and cross-jurisdictional legal services

II. Basic Overview of Guozun Timor-Leste Office

Relying on Guozun headquarters’ global legal service network, Guozun’s Timor-Leste Office deeply integrates local legal practice resources and mature professional experience in Timor-Leste, and has established a dedicated legal team with dual professional capabilities in both Chinese law and Timorese law, a strong command of bilateral economic and trade rules between China and Timor-Leste, and familiarity with local regulatory policies and judicial practice.

The office team is proficient in multiple languages, including English, Tetum, and Portuguese. Core members have worked in the Timor-Leste legal market for decades and have provided legal services to numerous multinational corporations, multilateral institutions, government entities, and non-governmental organizations. They have a profound understanding of Timor-Leste’s unique economic, political, historical, and cultural context.

Relying on Guozun’s global standardized legal service system, the office has established a full-process quality control and dual compliance review mechanism to ensure standardized service procedures, precise legal opinions, and comprehensive prevention of legal risks in cross-border operations. It is also able to coordinate with Guozun’s offices and partner networks worldwide to provide cross-border legal services covering Southeast Asia and major global economies, achieving integrated response across regions and jurisdictions.

III. Core Areas of Practice

Guozun’s Timor-Leste Office provides legal services covering the full spectrum of commercial activities and the entire life cycle of market participants. Its core practice areas and specific services are as follows:

(I) Investment and Corporate Legal Matters

1. Full-process services for the establishment, amendment, and deregistration of all types of market entities, including local companies, branches, and representative offices in Timor-Leste

2. Commercial registration, industry operating permits, and applications for special qualifications

3. Design of corporate governance structures and drafting of shareholder agreements and articles of association

4. Corporate mergers, restructurings, and equity transfers

5. Establishment of joint ventures and negotiation of cooperation agreements

6. Full-process foreign investment services, including investment policy consultation, investment structure design, foreign investment access approval, application for and implementation of investment incentives, and investment compliance review

7. Outbound direct investment (ODI) filing and compliance guidance

(II) Energy and Natural Resources Legal Matters

1. Oil and gas: application for and negotiation of exploration and development concessions, drafting and review of production sharing contracts, legal services for oil and gas project financing, contract management for oil and gas storage, transportation, and sale, and regulatory compliance consultation for the oil and gas sector

2. Renewable energy: development of new energy projects such as solar, wind, and hydropower, negotiation and execution of power purchase agreements (PPAs), legal services for EPC turnkey contracts for renewable energy power stations, legal support for energy storage projects, and applications for renewable energy subsidies and incentive policies

3. Mining: application for and transfer of mining rights, contract management for mineral exploration and development, mining project financing, compliance with mining safety production requirements, and dispute resolution relating to mining rights

(III) Infrastructure and Construction Legal Matters

1. Full-process legal services for infrastructure projects in transportation, including roads, ports, and airports, as well as municipal works and water conservancy

2. Structure design and contract system development for PPP/BOT projects

3. Compliance review of project bidding and tendering

4. Legal services for project financing

5. Drafting, review, and negotiation of EPC turnkey contracts

6. Management of construction subcontract agreements

7. Legal services for project variation and claims

8. Legal support for project completion acceptance and delivery

9. Resolution of construction engineering disputes

(IV) Banking and Finance Legal Matters

1. Applications for the establishment and licensing of banks and financial institutions

2. Banking regulatory compliance consultation

3. Establishment of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing compliance systems

4. Financial product design and compliance review

5. Legal services for commercial loans and syndicated loans

6. Drafting and review of security documents

7. Debt restructuring and disposal of non-performing assets

8. Consultation on cross-border financing and foreign exchange compliance

(V) Trade and Customs Legal Matters

1. Drafting, review, and negotiation of international trade contracts

2. Consultation on international trade terms and payment methods

3. Legal support for international carriage of goods and insurance

4. Customs compliance consultation, tariff planning, and optimization

5. Response to customs inspections

6. Applications for import and export licenses

7. Trade control and sanctions compliance

8. Resolution of international trade disputes

(VI) Labor and Employment Legal Matters

1. Drafting, review, and revision of labor contracts

2. Preparation of employee handbooks and internal rules and regulations

3. Consultation on compliance with local employment requirements

4. Compliance management for social security and payroll

5. Visa and work permit processing for foreign employees

6. Mediation and arbitration of labor disputes

7. Legal support for dismissals and layoffs

8. Handling of disputes relating to workplace injury compensation

(VII) Land and Real Estate Legal Matters

1. Acquisition and transfer of land lease rights

2. Investigation and confirmation of land title

3. Compliance for land development and use

4. Legal support for land acquisition and compensation

5. Legal services for real estate development projects

6. Contract management for real estate sale, purchase, and leasing

7. Real estate mortgages and financing

8. Legal support for property management

(VIII) Intellectual Property Legal Matters

1. Filing, renewal, and amendment of trademark, patent, and copyright registrations

2. Intellectual property licensing and transfer

3. Investigation of intellectual property infringement and rights protection

4. Intellectual property litigation and arbitration

5. Trade secret protection

6. Customs recordation of intellectual property rights

(IX) Dispute Resolution Legal Matters

1. Litigation representation before local courts in Timor-Leste

2. Representation in international commercial arbitration

3. Recognition and enforcement of arbitral awards and court judgments

4. Cross-border dispute resolution

5. Commercial mediation, settlement negotiation, and expert determination

(X) Other Legal Matters

1. Compliance with environmental impact assessment (EIA) requirements

2. Applications for environmental protection permits

3. Investigation of and response to environmental violations

4. Tax planning and optimization

5. Tax compliance consultation

6. Response to tax audits

7. Resolution of tax disputes

8. Resolution of foreign-related marriage and family, inheritance, and property disputes

IV. Significance of the Establishment

The establishment of Guozun’s Timor-Leste Office fills an important service-node gap in Guozun’s Southeast Asian market layout and further strengthens its global legal service network. As Timor-Leste joins ASEAN, its legal, tax, and customs systems will gradually align with international standards, its business environment will continue to improve, and economic and trade cooperation between China and Timor-Leste will enter a new stage of opportunity.

Guozun’s Timor-Leste Office will fully leverage its own advantages to safeguard Chinese enterprises’ investment and development in Timor-Leste, help enterprises effectively prevent legal risks, and protect their lawful rights and interests. At the same time, the office will actively promote legal exchange and cooperation between China and Timor-Leste and contribute to the sustained and healthy development of bilateral economic and trade relations.