Announcement on the Official Establishment of Guozun Law Firm’s Turkmenistan Office — A Chinese-Invested Law Firm in Turkmenistan

I. Core Establishment Information

Establishing Entity: Guozun Law Firm

Date of Establishment: September 2024

Location: Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan

Contact Information: 4006661890

Institutional Positioning: A core branch of Guozun Law Firm in the Central Asian legal services market, serving as a professional practice institution providing localized and full-process legal services for cross-border economic and trade activities between China and Turkmenistan, as well as for the commercial activities of global enterprises in Turkmenistan

II. Basic Overview of the Office

Guozun’s Turkmenistan Office is an important part of Guozun’s globally integrated legal service network. Relying on the firm’s global resource system and deep local capabilities, it carries out full-scope legal practice, with the following core foundational strengths:

1. Professional Team: The core team consists of senior practicing lawyers and cross-border legal experts with deep experience in the field of legal services in Turkmenistan. All team members hold full local practice qualifications in Turkmenistan and possess decades of local judicial practice and cross-border project service experience.

2. Local Adaptation Capability: The team has a deep understanding of Turkmenistan’s legislative framework, regulatory policies, judicial procedures, and commercial practices, and maintains precise and comprehensive command of the regulatory rules and industry landscape in key pillar sectors such as energy, infrastructure, trade, and investment.

3. Cross-Border Service Capability: The office provides seamless services in Turkmen, Russian, Chinese, and English, enabling it to accurately match the commercial needs of Chinese and foreign clients and provide customized legal solutions that comply both with international legal service standards and with the practical requirements of Turkmenistan.

III. Core Areas of Legal Services

Guozun’s Turkmenistan Office provides legal services throughout the entire life cycle of corporate cross-border commercial activities. Its core practice areas and specific services are clearly divided as follows:

(I) Cross-Border Investment and M&A Legal Services

1. Structure design and compliant implementation of foreign direct investment (FDI)

2. Full-process legal support for greenfield investment and assistance with administrative approvals

3. Full-process services for cross-border mergers, acquisitions, and restructurings, including legal and commercial due diligence

4. Drafting and negotiation of joint venture and cooperation agreements, and full-process performance management

5. Design and implementation of investment exit mechanisms

6. Protection of shareholder rights and front-end risk prevention for investment disputes

(II) Energy and Natural Resources Legal Services

1. Full-process legal services for oil and gas exploration and development, and for the construction and operation of long-distance pipelines

2. Full-chain legal support for mineral resource exploration, extraction, and concession operations

3. Negotiation, performance management, and risk control of production-sharing contracts for energy projects

4. Specialized services for project financing, environmental compliance, and occupational safety compliance in the energy sector

5. Establishment of compliance systems in the energy sector and handling of related disputes

(III) International Trade and Customs Compliance Legal Services

1. Drafting, review, and performance management of all types of international trade contracts

2. Full-process handling and risk prevention of international trade disputes

3. Customs compliance, tariff planning, and application of rules of origin

4. Compliance review and response planning for export controls and trade sanctions

5. Legal support relating to cross-border payments and receipts, letters of credit, and trade finance

6. Full-scenario compliance legal services for cross-border e-commerce

(IV) Construction and Infrastructure Legal Services

1. Full life-cycle legal services for all types of construction and engineering projects, including EPC, PPP, and BOT projects

2. Compliance review of project tendering and bidding, and drafting of the full set of tender documents

3. Specialized services for project performance management and claims relating to schedule and cost

4. Compliance and full-process risk control for infrastructure project financing

5. Full-process representation and handling of disputes in the construction sector

(V) Corporate Compliance and Retainer Legal Counsel Services

1. Retainer legal counsel services covering all corporate scenarios

2. Establishment of specialized compliance systems for anti-corruption and anti-commercial bribery

3. Data compliance, personal information protection, and cross-border data flow compliance services

4. Full-process support for tax compliance and sector-specific regulatory compliance

5. Establishment of internal control systems and enterprise-wide compliance training

6. Risk review, emergency handling, and response to cross-border sanctions compliance issues

(VI) Cross-Border Dispute Resolution Legal Services

1. Full-process representation in civil and commercial litigation within Turkmenistan

2. Full-process representation in administrative reconsideration and administrative litigation

3. Representation in domestic and foreign commercial arbitration and international investment dispute resolution

4. Diversified commercial mediation and dispute settlement services

5. Representation in the recognition and enforcement of cross-border judgments and arbitral awards

6. Emergency response to sudden corporate compliance crises and commercial disputes

(VII) Intellectual Property Legal Services

1. Full-chain protection services for trademarks, patents, copyrights, and trade secrets

2. Cross-border intellectual property strategy, registration applications, and title recordation

3. Legal support and documentation implementation for intellectual property licensing and transfer

4. Monitoring of intellectual property infringement, enforcement litigation, and dispute handling

5. Response to unfair competition disputes and establishment of trade secret protection systems

(VIII) Financial and Capital Markets Legal Services

1. Compliance services for cross-border investment and financing, banks, and non-bank financial institutions

2. Legal services relating to project finance, trade finance, and cross-border guarantees

3. Specialized services for financial leasing and foreign exchange control compliance

4. Legal support and risk prevention for financial derivatives

5. Supporting compliance services for domestic and overseas capital markets operations of enterprises

(IX) Labor and Employment Legal Services

1. Drafting and revision of labor contracts, employee handbooks, confidentiality agreements, and non-compete agreements

2. Handling of labor disputes and full-process representation in labor arbitration and litigation

3. Full-process support for employment and residence permits for foreign employees

4. Compliance with compensation and benefits, social insurance, and risk prevention for cross-border personnel dispatch

5. Design and compliant implementation of layoff and employee placement plans

6. Establishment of local employment compliance systems and specialized training

(X) Real Estate and Property Legal Services

1. Full-process legal services for acquisition of land use rights and for development and construction

2. Legal support relating to real estate leasing, transfer, mortgage, and financing

3. Compliance in property operations and handling of real estate title disputes

4. Full-process risk prevention for real estate-related commercial activities

IV. Core Service Recipients

1. Chinese enterprises and institutions investing in Turkmenistan and engaging in economic, trade, and project cooperation there

2. Local Turkmen enterprises and institutions investing in China and pursuing international expansion

3. Enterprises and commercial entities from around the world conducting business activities in Turkmenistan

4. Project entities, institutions, and commercial entities involved in bilateral and cross-border economic and trade cooperation between China and Turkmenistan

V. Value of the Establishment and Service Mission

The establishment of Guozun’s Turkmenistan Office has further improved Guozun Law Firm’s legal service network in Central Asia and significantly enhanced its capacity to provide cross-border legal services in core markets along the Belt and Road Initiative.

The office will continue to rely on Guozun’s globally integrated legal service system, deepen its local professional capabilities, and, with compliant, professional, and rigorous practice standards, provide full-dimensional legal support for the cross-border commercial activities of all types of market entities, thereby contributing to the compliant and orderly development of bilateral economic and trade cooperation and cross-border commercial exchanges between China and Turkmenistan.