In April 2025, GUOZUN CATHAY ASSOCIATES officially launched its Czech office in Prague’s central business district. As a core service hub for the firm’s expansion into Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), the office serves key economic hubs across the Czech Republic, including Prague and Brno, with a focus on the core legal requirements of Chinese-funded enterprises entering the EU market and two-way Sino-Czech economic and trade cooperation.
The office’s professional legal team holds dual practising qualifications in the Czech Republic and the EU, and delivers services in Chinese, Czech and English. With deep expertise in core practice areas including EU compliance, cross-border investment and commercial disputes, and thorough familiarity with the Czech domestic regulatory framework and CEE commercial rules, the team provides end-to-end, localised and compliant cross-border legal services to both Chinese and international clients.
This document sets out the official standardised fee guidance for the Czech Office of GUOZUN CATHAY ASSOCIATES for 2026. All quoted fees are exclusive of the 21% statutory value-added tax (VAT) applicable in the Czech Republic. Settlement is available in three major currencies: euros, renminbi and US dollars. All services are provided in strict compliance with the Czech Legal Profession Act and EU regulations governing legal practitioners’ remuneration.
I. Compliant Fee Structure of the Czech Office
Aligned with EU commercial service conventions and the cross-border service needs of Chinese-funded enterprises, five standardised billing methods are established with transparent pricing, fully compliant with Czech judicial regulatory requirements:
A. Fixed Lump-Sum Billing
Applied to standardised legal matters such as company incorporation, document review and routine filings. The total service fee is agreed upon contract signing, with no additional charges beyond those specified in the engagement agreement.
B. Hourly Service Billing
Applied to non-standardised matters including cross-border mergers and acquisitions, complex litigation and bespoke compliance consulting. Fees are calculated based on chargeable working hours of the instructed lawyers. Detailed monthly time reports are provided for full transparency and auditability of the service process.
C. Tiered Value-Based Billing
For asset-focused legal projects such as asset transactions, high-value commercial claims and cross-border investment and financing, fees are charged on a tiered scale relative to the value of the subject matter, in line with prevailing pricing practices for premium commercial legal services across the EU.
D. Contingency Fee Billing
Applied in strict adherence to EU professional conduct rules for lawyers, this billing method is restricted to debt recovery, commercial claims and tort enforcement cases. Fees are calculated based on the actual outcome of the matter, with the fee cap set at 25% of the total sum recovered.
E. Annual Retainer Billing
Provides year-round ongoing legal support for enterprises for a fixed annual fee. A dedicated multilingual service team is assigned, offering 24/7 emergency response and covering compliance risk management across all aspects of daily business operations.
II. Hourly Fee Schedule by Lawyer Seniority
All practising lawyers at the office hold valid practising certificates issued by the Czech Bar Association. Core partners hold rights of audience in multiple EU jurisdictions and specialise in core areas including CEE cross-border investment, EU data compliance and international arbitration. Differentiated tiered pricing applies based on seniority.
A. 2026 Official Hourly Fee Range
The official 2026 hourly fee range is €180 – €590 per hour, covering all levels of fee earners: junior lawyers, specialist lawyers, senior partners, and cross-border experts seconded from the Beijing headquarters. The final rate will be determined on a case-by-case basis, taking into account matter complexity, area of specialisation, service urgency and team composition.
B. Supplementary Billing Provisions
1.A surcharge of 25%–50% applies to cross-border casework conducted outside the Czech Republic, to cover field travel and associated expenses.
2.Premium fees apply for urgent expedited services and services delivered on statutory public holidays.
3.A 20% rate uplift applies to matters requiring collaborative case handling across multiple EU jurisdictions.
4.A 15% uplift applies to specialist multilingual court hearing services.
5.A 10%–20% rate uplift applies to specialist matters involving financial regulation and data compliance.
III. Fee Breakdown for Core Practice Areas
This fee schedule is tailored to the core legal needs of Chinese-funded enterprises operating in the Czech Republic, aligned with the requirements of Czech regulatory authorities for commerce, labour, intellectual property and other sectors, and covers all EU compliance scenarios. The specific fee ranges for each practice area are set out below.
A. China-Czech Cross-border Investment & M&A Legal Services: €900 – €30,000
1.Compliance services for the establishment of wholly Czech-owned companies, representative offices and regional headquarters, including foreign investment access qualification screening and compliant implementation
2.Czech industry business licence processing, and compliant design and execution of foreign equity structures
3.Legal due diligence for cross-border investments, transaction structure planning, and support for accessing EU investment incentive policies
4.Corporate equity changes, entity status maintenance, and specialist legal services for cross-border company deregistration and liquidation
5.Supporting compliance services for CEE industrial park entry and infrastructure/energy project delivery
B. Corporate Commercial & EU Compliance Legal Services: €3,200 – €58,000
1.Development of internal control systems for Czech enterprises, customisation of commercial documents, and compliant amendment of articles of association
2.EU tax compliance planning, annual corporate compliance audits, and regulatory risk identification and early warning
3.Response to Czech government inspections, replies to regulatory enquiries, and compliance remedy services for administrative penalties
4.Specialist compliance training for enterprises, and formulation of implementation plans and contingency measures for dual-jurisdiction (China-EU) compliance standards
5.Ongoing compliance trusteeship for enterprises, and full-cycle operational support for commercial entities
C. Cross-border Trade & Supply Chain Compliance Legal Services: €4,500 – €69,000
1.Full-scope compliance review of Sino-EU trade contracts, and customisation and risk management of supply chain agreements
2.Czech customs compliance management, interpretation of import and export regulations, and tariff optimisation and trade barrier mitigation
3.EU market compliance for cross-border e-commerce operations, including product access and consumer rights protection services
4.Compliance review of cross-border transaction settlements, and commercial risk prevention and protection of legitimate rights and interests
5.Pre-litigation mediation of trade disputes, and full-process non-litigation resolution of cross-border contract breaches
D. Expatriate Employment & HR Compliance Legal Services: €260 – €20,000
1.Customisation of employment documentation aligned with Czech labour law, and compliance review of employment contracts and employee policies
2.Compliance processing of work permits and residence visas for foreign employees, and full-scope services for document renewal and variation
3.Compliance planning of corporate employment quotas, customisation of local employment solutions, and compliance risk mitigation
4.Compliance resolution of labour disputes, and full-process representation in Czech labour arbitration and litigation proceedings
5.Annual employment compliance audits for enterprises, response to labour authority inspections, and compliance design for senior executive employment arrangements
E. Cross-border Intellectual Property Protection Legal Services: €240 – €28,000
1.End-to-end processing of registration, renewal and modification of Czech and EU trademarks, patents and copyrights
2.Evidence collection for intellectual property infringement, and full-case representation in Czech administrative enforcement and judicial proceedings
3.Brand compliance enforcement, domain name dispute resolution, and development of trade secret compliance protection frameworks
4.Drafting of cross-border intellectual property licensing agreements, and compliance risk management for technical cooperation
5.EU intellectual property portfolio strategy for overseas enterprises, and specialist services for brand risk control system development
F. Cross-border Dispute Resolution & Award Enforcement Legal Services: €1,300 – €450,000
1.Mediation of Sino-Czech commercial disputes, and full-process representation in civil proceedings before local Czech courts
2.Handling of international commercial arbitration cases, and full-scope support for EU cross-border arbitration procedures
3.Cross-border recognition and enforcement of domestic and foreign court judgments and arbitral awards, and services relating to property preservation
4.Legal services for cross-border debt collection, and representation in local Czech enforcement proceedings
5.Resolution of administrative disputes and commercial torts, and supporting legal services for cross-border criminal compliance
Supplementary Note: There is no fixed upper fee limit for cross-border financial compliance matters and major, complex or high-difficulty cases. A bespoke quotation will be provided based on matter complexity and cross-border collaboration costs.
G. Cross-border Family Law Services for High-Net-Worth Individuals: €700 – €4,200
1.Compliance services for business visa, long-term residence and investment status applications
2.Compliance review of Czech real estate purchase and lease transactions, and asset transaction risk management
3.Legal consultation and representation for cross-border family disputes, estate succession and property division
4.Specialist legal advice on personal cross-border asset allocation and wealth succession compliance
H. Specialised CEE Regional Legal Services: €1,100 – €38,000
1.End-to-end compliance legal services for infrastructure and energy projects
2.Compliance coordination for cross-border cultural, entertainment and sports projects, and commercial risk management services
3.Round-the-clock multilingual emergency legal consultation and rapid response to urgent legal matters
4.Cross-border business collaboration across multiple CEE jurisdictions and regional policy adaptation compliance services
IV. Key Factors Influencing Fee Pricing
1.Cross-border service complexity: Fees are adjusted based on the difficulty of matters involving multi-jurisdictional legal application, cross-border evidence collection and collaboration between multiple parties
2.Specialisation threshold: Pricing for specialist areas such as EU financial regulation, data compliance and cross-border investment differs from that of routine legal services
3.Matter handling difficulty: Dynamic pricing applies to major litigation, complex enforcement matters and specialist regulatory response projects
4.Service timeliness requirements: Premium fees apply accordingly for expedited services and services provided on public holidays
5.Engagement model: Annual retainer arrangements offer lower overall service costs compared with ad-hoc single-service instructions
6.Service team composition: Pricing is adjusted accordingly for matters handled by a multi-expert team, with cross-border support from headquarters, or with a dedicated client team
7.Matter risk profile: The fee percentage for contingency fee matters is directly linked to case difficulty and service duration
V. Independently Billed Third-Party Disbursements
The following costs are not included in legal service fees. They are charged at official Czech rates or actual cost, with no markup applied by the firm:
1.Official administrative fees: Including company registration fees, visa-related fees, court fees, arbitration fees, official intellectual property fees and similar charges
2.Notarisation and authentication fees: Official compliance costs including Czech local notarisation, Hague Apostille and Sino-Czech consular authentication
3.Professional translation fees: Multilingual translation of legal documents and court interpreting services, charged at Czech industry standard rates
4.Third-party professional fees: Actual expenses for judicial appraisal, due diligence reports, industry expert consultation and similar services
5.Field travel expenses: Transportation, accommodation and field allowances incurred during case handling, reimbursed against valid official receipts
6.Financial transaction fees: Bank charges arising from cross-border transfers and currency conversion shall be borne by the instructing party
7.Other supporting fees: Service fees from third-party institutions such as auditors, valuers and compliance testing providers
VI. Important Notice
This document constitutes the 2026 fee reference benchmark for the Czech Office of GUOZUN CATHAY ASSOCIATES and does not constitute a legal offer or binding service commitment. The final fee for all legal services shall be determined based on the client’s specific requirements, the actual circumstances of the matter and the scope of services, and shall be set out in a written engagement contract signed by both parties.