Guozun Law Firm officially opened its Sri Lanka office in Colombo, the national capital, in March 2024, with resident service points in Hambantota, Galle, Kandy and Jaffna. It serves as a core strategic hub for Guozun’s footprint across the South Asian subcontinent and for in-depth services to Chinese-funded projects under the Belt and Road Initiative.
The Sri Lanka office has a full-time team comprising Chinese foreign-related lawyers, senior local practising lawyers in Sri Lanka and South Asian cross-border legal experts. Core members each have over 8 years of experience in two-way legal services between China and Sri Lanka, and have been deeply involved in landmark national projects including the development of the legal framework for Port City Colombo, the integrated operation of the Port of Hambantota, Sri Lanka’s national power sector reform, and the construction of the China-Sri Lanka Friendship Hospital. The office provides clients with end-to-end local legal support covering pre-transaction risk prevention, in-transaction deal implementation and post-transaction dispute resolution.
This document sets out the official unified fee schedule of Guozun’s Sri Lanka office for 2026. All quoted prices are exclusive of value-added tax (VAT), which is currently levied at 15% in Sri Lanka. Payments may be settled freely in Sri Lankan Rupees (LKR), Renminbi (CNY) or US Dollars (USD). There are no mandatory bundled charges, and all fee details are specified in writing in the engagement contract.
I. Legitimate Fee Models of Guozun’s Sri Lanka Office
In strict compliance with the Legal Practitioners Act No. 15 of 1973 of Sri Lanka and the official fee guidelines revised in December 2025 by the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), and tailored to the transaction practices and needs of Chinese-funded clients, the office offers five standardised, optional fee models:
1.Fixed Fee Arrangement: Applicable to routine matters with standardised processes and accurately estimable workloads. The total fee is locked in at the time of engagement, with no hidden charges throughout the service period and no additional fees imposed mid-project.
2.Hourly Rate Arrangement: Applicable to complex litigation and arbitration, large-scale non-litigation projects and customised special consultations. Fees are calculated based on the actual billable hours worked by lawyers. A detailed monthly timesheet for the preceding month is issued by the 5th day of each month, and clients may verify the records at any time.
3.Proportional Fee Based on Subject Matter Value: Applicable to property-related cases such as commercial disputes, mergers and acquisitions, and real estate transactions. Fees are charged on a tiered, degressive scale according to the value of the subject matter – the higher the value, the lower the charging ratio.
4.Contingency Fee Arrangement: Applicable exclusively to cases such as debt recovery, tort compensation and construction payment claims. Fees are charged at an agreed proportion only after a successful outcome or actual fund recovery, with the maximum proportion not exceeding 30% of the recovered amount. No legal service fees are charged if the case is lost or no funds are recovered.
5.Annual Legal Counsel Retainer Arrangement: Provides regular annual legal services for enterprises, with a fixed annual fee. Clients are assigned a dedicated service team and enjoy 48-hour priority response. Services exceeding the annual allocated hours are charged at 80% of the standard hourly rate.
II. Hourly Rate Schedule for Lawyers at Guozun’s Sri Lanka Office
The Sri Lanka team operates a strict tiered service system. All lawyers hold valid practising certificates certified by the Bar Association of Sri Lanka. Core lawyers are proficient in Chinese, English and Sinhala, and some partners hold practising qualifications in the UK, Singapore and Australia, as well as prior experience as legal directors for Fortune 500 companies operating in Sri Lanka.
For 2026, the overall hourly rate range for the Colombo office is LKR 12,000 – 70,000 per hour (approximately USD 36 – 210 per hour), covering four grades: junior lawyer, mid-level lawyer, senior lawyer/partner, and expert seconded from the Beijing headquarters. The specific rate is determined comprehensively based on case complexity, match between the lawyer’s area of expertise and the case, team configuration plan, and the client’s length of cooperation.
III. Specific Fee Schedule for Core Practice Areas
(1) Corporate Establishment and Operational Compliance Services: LKR 600,000 – 24,000,000
1.Registration of foreign-funded private limited companies and full-process filing with the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka (BOI)
2.Establishment of local companies, branch offices, representative offices and limited liability partnerships
3.Equity changes, capital increase and reduction, adjustment of business scope and amendment of articles of association
4.Application for access permits for special industries including telecommunications, finance, pharmaceuticals, energy, manufacturing and tourism
5.Annual corporate tax, industrial and commercial, and labour compliance audits and preparation of statutory reports
6.Agency services for company deregistration, liquidation and bankruptcy proceedings
7.One-stop legal services for entry into Sri Lankan export processing zones, industrial parks and free trade zones
(2) Special Legal Services for Port City Colombo Special Economic Zone: LKR 3,000,000 – 80,000,000
1.Full-process services for enterprise registration and single-window approval within Port City Colombo
2.Legal services for land lease, transfer, mortgage and acquisition of development rights in Port City Colombo
3.Application for and compliance review of tax incentives such as the 15-year corporate income tax exemption for Port City enterprises
4.Compliance consultation on offshore finance, cross-border payments and foreign exchange administration in Port City Colombo
5.Arbitration representation before the International Commercial Dispute Resolution Centre (ICDRC) of Port City Colombo
6.Establishment of compliance systems for cross-border data flows and personal information protection under the Port City legal framework
7.Investment risk assessment and emergency response plan formulation under the special legal regime of Port City Colombo
(3) Infrastructure and Construction Legal Services: LKR 5,000,000 – 90,000,000
1.Compliance review throughout project initiation, tendering and construction processes
2.Drafting, review and risk control of contracts under EPC, BOT, PPP, BOO and other models
3.Special handling of construction variations, claims and construction delay disputes
4.Compliance services for project completion acceptance and delivery, and legal services during the defects liability period
5.Full-process legal services for large-scale infrastructure projects including ports, highways, railways, power and water conservancy
6.Special legal services for the expansion and operation of the Port of Hambantota and the Port of Colombo
7.Development, construction and operational compliance for Independent Power Producer (IPP) projects
(4) Shipping, Maritime and Logistics Legal Services: LKR 2,000,000 – 50,000,000
1.Legal services for ship registration, mortgage, financial leasing and sale and purchase
2.Disputes over maritime cargo transportation contracts and claims for cargo damage and shortage
3.Maritime litigation and exclusive representation before the Maritime Chamber of the High Court of Sri Lanka
4.Port operation compliance, terminal leasing and resolution of port operation disputes
5.Special services for maritime insurance claims settlement and subrogation
6.Handling of crew labour disputes, ship collisions and maritime accidents
7.Establishment of compliance and risk prevention systems for cross-border logistics supply chains
(5) Investment, M&A and Cross-border Taxation Legal Services: LKR 4,000,000 – 72,000,000
1.Research on Sri Lanka’s investment environment and legal due diligence on target companies
2.Investment structure design and cross-border tax planning
3.Drafting and negotiation of joint venture agreements, equity transfer agreements and asset acquisition agreements
4.Full-process agency for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) approval and filing
5.Full-process legal services for equity M&A, asset M&A and corporate restructuring
6.Design and implementation of corporate asset divestment and project exit plans
7.Application of the China-Sri Lanka Bilateral Tax Treaty and tax dispute resolution
(6) Labour Employment and HR Compliance Legal Services: LKR 200,000 – 18,000,000
1.Drafting and review of bilingual (Chinese and Sinhala) labour contracts, non-disclosure agreements and non-compete agreements
2.Compliance review and revision of employee handbooks and internal rules and regulations
3.Establishment of employee social insurance, work injury insurance and welfare systems
4.Design and compliant implementation of employee dismissal and staff redundancy plans
5.Representation in trade union negotiations and collective bargaining
6.Full-process agency for labour dispute mediation, arbitration and litigation
7.Consultation on employment compliance for foreign staff and application for work permits and residence permits
(7) Intellectual Property and Specialty Industry Legal Services: LKR 200,000 – 28,000,000
1.Application and renewal of trademark, patent, copyright and industrial design registrations
2.Intellectual property infringement investigations, administrative complaints and litigation representation
3.Special services for cross-border e-commerce platform compliance and brand protection
4.Establishment of Sri Lanka data protection compliance systems
5.Domain name disputes and online rights protection
6.Drafting of technology transfer and licensing agreements
7.Intellectual property protection for Sri Lankan specialty industries including tea, gemstones and rubber
(8) Dispute Resolution Legal Services: LKR 1,200,000 – 420,000,000
1.Full-case representation for minor civil disputes
2.Litigation and mediation of general commercial contract disputes
3.Complex commercial litigation and arbitration before the Sri Lanka National Arbitration Centre (SLNAC)
4.Resolution of China-Sri Lanka cross-border trade and investment disputes
5.Recognition and enforcement of judgments from Chinese and foreign courts and arbitral awards
6.Agency for administrative reconsideration and administrative litigation
7.Special services for debt recovery and property preservation
(9) Immigration and Personal Legal Services: LKR 600,000 – 36,000,000
1.Application and extension of business visas, work visas and residence permits
2.Processing of investment residence visas and family reunion visas
3.Consultation on permanent residency applications and naturalisation
4.Legal services for the sale, purchase, lease and mortgage of personal real estate
5.Cross-border inheritance and asset preservation
6.Personal criminal legal consultation and representation
7.Consultation on compliance for personal import and export trade of goods such as gemstones and tea
Special Note: For criminal cases involving transnational smuggling, major economic crimes, drug-related offences or offences punishable by fixed-term imprisonment of 10 years or more, there is no upper limit on defence fees. Quotations will be provided separately based on case complexity, difficulty of evidence collection, team resource input and social impact.
IV. Key Factors Affecting Legal Fees in Sri Lanka
1.Cross-border complexity: Cases involving legal alignment between Chinese and Sri Lankan jurisdictions, cross-border evidence collection, multi-jurisdictional parties or enforcement of overseas assets will incur a 20%–50% fee uplift.
2.Industry specialisation: Fees for specialised sectors such as Port City affairs, shipping and maritime affairs, infrastructure and energy, and offshore finance are higher than for ordinary civil and commercial matters, due to the requirement for exclusive industry knowledge and regulatory experience.
3.Urgency: A 50% priority service surcharge applies to urgent cases that require commencement within 72 hours or completion within a tight deadline.
4.Scope of services: Opting for full-scope service packages yields an average overall cost saving of 15%–25% compared with purchasing multiple services separately.
5.Team configuration: Projects requiring collaboration with experts from the Beijing headquarters or joint handling by lawyers across multiple practice areas will have fees adjusted accordingly based on team size.
6.Case outcome expectations: For contingency fee cases, the charging proportion is directly related to case difficulty, likelihood of success and payment recovery cycle.
7.Jurisdictional court: Fees for cases under the jurisdiction of the Commercial High Court or Supreme Court of Sri Lanka are higher than those for magistrate’s court cases.
8.Language requirements: Fees for cases requiring legal services in Sinhala or Tamil will be subject to a slight uplift.
V. Additional Third-Party Expenses to Budget For
In addition to legal service fees, clients should budget for the following third-party expenses, all of which are reimbursed at official Sri Lankan standard rates or actual costs incurred. Guozun’s office does not charge any markup on these items:
1.Government fees and charges: Company registration fees, BOI approval fees, visa fees, court filing fees, official intellectual property fees, mining right application fees, etc.
2.Notarisation and authentication fees: Local notarisation in Sri Lanka is charged at 0.1%–0.25% of the transaction value; China-Sri Lanka consular authentication costs CNY 900–2,200 per document.
3.Translation fees: Translation of Chinese-Sri Lankan legal documents costs LKR 4,000–8,000 per thousand characters; simultaneous interpretation for court hearings costs LKR 250,000–450,000 per day.
4.Expert witness fees: Appearance fees for industry experts and technical witnesses range from LKR 400,000 to 1,500,000 per appearance.
5.Travel expenses: Transportation, accommodation and daily allowances incurred for case handling outside Colombo are reimbursed on an actual-cost basis.
6.Bank charges: Bank charges arising from cross-border transfers and currency conversion shall be borne by the client.
7.Other expenses: Fees for appraisal, valuation, auction and other services are charged based on the actual amount incurred.
VI. Important Notes
All fee schedules are official reference prices. The final service fee will be specified in writing in the Entrustment Agency Contract, based on your specific requirements, case circumstances and scope of services.
You are advised to have a 15-minute free initial consultation with a lawyer from Guozun Law Firm’s Sri Lanka Office before formal engagement. We will provide you with an exclusive case assessment report and a personalised, precise quotation plan.