GUOZUN CATHAY ASSOCIATES’ Albania Office was officially inaugurated in August 2022 in the prime central business district of Tirana, the capital of Albania. It serves as the firm’s core cross-border legal service branch for its footprint across Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkan region. As the only Chinese law firm to enter into a signing agreement at the 10th Anniversary Entrepreneurs’ Conference of the Belt and Road Initiative, the Albania Office draws on its local professional team and the global resources of the Beijing headquarters to deliver dedicated services to market entities in both China and Albania, with particular expertise in legal services covering infrastructure, energy, agriculture, cross-border trade, port logistics and other sectors.
This document sets forth the official 2026 fee schedule for GUOZUN CATHAY ASSOCIATES’ Albania Office. All quoted prices are exclusive of value-added tax (the VAT rate in Albania is 20%), and payment is accepted in both euros and Chinese renminbi.
I. Lawful Fee Structures of the GUOZUN CATHAY ASSOCIATES Albania Office
In strict compliance with Article 16 of the Albanian Law on the Legal Profession (Law No. 55/2018), and adapted to the needs of Chinese-invested clients, we provide the following five mainstream fee structures:
1.Fixed fee arrangement: Applicable to standardised, process-driven matters. The quote is specified as a one-off amount with no hidden charges.
2.Hourly rate arrangement: Applicable to complex litigation, non-litigation projects and specialist advisory mandates. Fees are calculated based on actual working hours, with a detailed work statement issued on a monthly basis.
3.Proportional fee arrangement (by subject matter value): Applicable to commercial disputes, merger and acquisition restructuring, real estate transactions and similar matters. Fees are charged on a tiered basis according to the value of the case’s subject matter.
4.Contingency fee arrangement: Applicable exclusively to debt recovery, tort compensation and comparable cases. Fees are charged at an agreed proportion upon a successful outcome or recovery of funds, with a maximum rate of 30% of the amount recovered.
5.Annual legal counsel retainer: Provides full-process annual legal services for corporate clients. A fixed annual fee is payable, with access to a dedicated legal team and priority response entitlements.
II. Hourly Rate Standards for Lawyers at the GUOZUN CATHAY ASSOCIATES Albania Office
The GUOZUN CATHAY ASSOCIATES Albania team consists of Chinese foreign-affairs lawyers and senior local Albanian lawyers. All lawyers are bilingual in Chinese and Albanian, and some hold EU practising qualifications.
For 2026, the overall hourly rate range for lawyers at the Tirana Office is €40 to €500 per hour. This range covers service fees for all lawyer grades, including junior lawyers, mid-level lawyers, senior lawyers/partners and specialist counsel seconded from the Beijing headquarters. The specific applicable rate will be determined based on the complexity of the matter, the required professional specialism of the lawyer and the team configuration.
Note: A 30%–50% travel surcharge applies to services delivered outside Tirana. Urgent expedited services requiring response or out-of-hours processing within 72 hours attract a uniform 50% surcharge. For cases involving the application of EU law, rates are uplifted by 20%.
III. Specific Fee Standards for Common Legal Services
A. Immigration and Personal Legal Services: €600 – €6,000
1.Full-scope digital nomad visa application
2.Work permit + residence permit application
3.Investor visa application
4.Family reunion visa application
5.Permanent residence application
6.Personal legal services for property transactions
B. Establishment and Operational Services for Chinese-Invested Enterprises: €1,200 – €8,000
1.Registration of a limited liability company (Sh.p.k)
2.Establishment of a branch / representative office
3.Amendment of articles of association / equity transfer
4.Annual compliance service package
5.Company deregistration and liquidation
C. Commercial Contracts and Compliance Services: €300 – €20,000
1.Drafting / review of standard commercial contracts
2.Drafting / review of complex commercial contracts
3.Foreign investment compliance review
4.Anti-money laundering / data compliance special mandates
5.Enterprise compliance system development
D. Dispute Resolution and Litigation Services: €1,500 – €300,000
1.Full-scope handling of straightforward civil cases
2.General commercial disputes
3.Complex commercial litigation / arbitration
4.China-Albania cross-border trade disputes
5.Debt recovery
E. Specialist Legal Services for Infrastructure and Energy (Core Strength of GUOZUN CATHAY ASSOCIATES): €5,000 – €80,000
1.Tendering and bidding services for infrastructure projects
2.Full-process review and management of construction contracts
3.Construction claims and dispute resolution
4.Full-scope services for energy project investment
F. Criminal Defence Services: €800 – €100,000
1.Full-scope handling of minor criminal cases
2.General criminal cases
3.Serious criminal cases
4.Appellate cases
Special note: Defence fees for cases involving transnational crime, major economic crime or capital offences have no upper ceiling and shall be quoted separately based on the specific circumstances of each case.
IV. Key Factors Determining GUOZUN CATHAY ASSOCIATES Legal Fees
1.Cross-border complexity: Fees will be increased accordingly for cases involving legal interface between China and Albania, cross-border evidence collection, or parties from both Chinese and foreign jurisdictions.
2.Industry specialisation: Services in specialised fields such as infrastructure, energy and finance are charged at a premium compared with general matters, owing to the industry-specific knowledge and regulatory expertise required.
3.Urgency: A 50% expediting fee applies to urgent cases requiring response or out-of-hours processing within 72 hours.
4.Scope of service: Full-package mandates deliver an average cost saving of 15%–25% compared with standalone individual services.
5.Team configuration: Fees will be adjusted accordingly for projects requiring coordination with specialists from the Beijing headquarters or multi-disciplinary legal teams.
6.Expected case outcome: The fee percentage for contingency fee arrangements is directly linked to case difficulty and the likelihood of a successful outcome.
V. Additional Costs to Be Considered
In addition to legal fees, clients should budget for the following third-party costs, all of which are reimbursed at official tariff rates or actual expenditure:
1.Government fees: Company registration fees, visa fees, court filing fees, etc.
2.Notarisation and authentication fees: Local notarisation is charged at 0.23%–0.35% of the transaction value; Hague apostille services cost €150–€300 per document.
3.Translation fees: Translation of Chinese-Albanian legal documents costs €150–€500 per document; courtroom interpretation costs €300–€600 per day.
4.Expert witness fees: €800–€3,000 per court appearance.
5.Travelling expenses: Reimbursed at actual cost for travel outside Tirana, including transport, accommodation and daily subsistence allowance.
6.Bank charges: Bank charges arising from cross-border remittances shall be borne by the client.
VI. Important Notice
All fee standards set out herein are for reference only. The final fee will be explicitly agreed in the engagement contract, based on the specific circumstances of the matter and the scope of services. Clients are advised to hold detailed consultations with lawyers from GUOZUN CATHAY ASSOCIATES’ Albania Office prior to engagement, in order to obtain a personalised, accurate quote.