GUOZUN CATHAY ASSOCIATES formally inaugurated its Sweden office in the central business district of Stockholm, Sweden’s capital, in December 2023. As a core hub of GUOZUN CATHAY ASSOCIATES’ global legal service network covering the Nordic market, the office functions as a professional legal service platform facilitating two-way economic and trade exchanges between China and Sweden. Its team comprises local lawyers holding valid practising certificates issued by the Swedish Bar Association, alongside cross-border experts well-versed in both Chinese and Swedish legal systems and EU regulatory frameworks. Core team members generally boast over 10 years of hands-on experience in the Nordic legal service market and are competent to provide services in Chinese, Swedish and English. Focused on addressing the full spectrum of legal needs of Chinese enterprises expanding into the Nordic region and Swedish/EU entities investing in China, the office delivers localised, full-cycle and compliant professional legal services.
This document sets forth the official unified fee benchmark of GUOZUN CATHAY ASSOCIATES Sweden Office for the 2026 fiscal year. All quoted prices exclude the standard 25% value-added tax (VAT) levied by the Swedish Tax Agency, as legal services do not qualify for Sweden’s reduced VAT rates. Settlement is available in multiple currencies, including Swedish Krona (SEK), Euro (EUR), Renminbi (RMB) and US Dollar (USD). The entire fee system strictly adheres to the Swedish Judicial Procedure Code, the Code of Professional Conduct of the Swedish Bar Association, and relevant EU regulatory requirements governing legal services.
I. Compliance Fee Framework and Standardised Billing Models
To align with Swedish judicial regulatory requirements and cross-border commercial service practices, the office has established five transparent and traceable standardised billing models. All fee arrangements comply with the professional ethics rules for Swedish legal practitioners, and there are no hidden charges or irregular fees within the agreed service scope:
1.Fixed Lump Sum Fee Model
Applicable to basic legal matters with standardised workflows and accurately quantifiable workloads. The total service fee is locked in upon contract signing, with no subsequent additional charges. Applicable scenarios include the establishment and deregistration of local Swedish commercial entities, basic compliance filings, drafting and review of standard legal documents, applications for routine qualifications and licences, and other standardised matters.
2.Effective Hourly Billing Model
Applicable to non-standard legal services such as major cross-border investment and M&A projects, complex dispute resolution cases, customised compliance system development, and dedicated regulatory response. Fees are calculated based on lawyers’ actual billable working hours, with itemised time statements issued monthly. The entire process is verifiable and auditable.
3.Tiered Fee Based on Subject Matter Value
Applicable to property-related legal practices including cross-border equity/asset M&A, large-scale investment and financing transactions, and commercial property claims. Fees are charged at tiered proportions relative to the subject matter value of the case or project, consistent with prevailing practices in the high-end commercial legal service industry across Sweden and the EU.
4.Contingency Fee Arrangement for Exceptional Cases
In strict compliance with the Code of Conduct of the Swedish Bar Association, the contingency fee model is in principle not permitted within the Swedish jurisdiction. It may only be adopted under statutory exceptional circumstances: first, acting as local legal counsel in cross-border cases where a contingency fee arrangement has been lawfully agreed in the primary forum; second, class action cases meeting Swedish statutory criteria; third, cases where the client has no other access to judicial relief due to financial hardship. For eligible contingency fee arrangements, fees are conditional on a successful case outcome or actual fund recovery. The fee ratio shall not exceed 30% of the actual recovered amount, and prior compliance filing is mandatory.
5.Annual Retainer Fixed Fee Model
Provides enterprises with year-round, full-scope routine legal support for a fixed annual service fee. A trilingual service team is assigned, with a 48-hour priority response mechanism in place. The service scope covers compliance management, risk early warning, contract review and legal consultation requirements throughout the enterprise’s daily operations.
II. Hourly Rate Standards for Lawyers at GUOZUN CATHAY ASSOCIATES Sweden Office
All practising lawyers at GUOZUN CATHAY ASSOCIATES Sweden Office hold valid practising certificates issued by the Swedish Bar Association. The core team has mastered the application of both Chinese and Swedish laws and EU regulatory rules, and delivers services in multiple languages including Chinese, Swedish and English. Senior partners hold practising qualifications across multiple EU jurisdictions, with deep expertise in core practice areas such as cross-border investment, international commerce, compliance regulation and dispute resolution. A tiered pricing system is implemented.
Unified hourly rate range for 2026: SEK 1,800 – SEK 10,500 per hour, covering all levels: junior practising lawyers, intermediate specialist lawyers, senior partners, and cross-border experts from the Beijing headquarters. The final rate is determined through a comprehensive assessment of case complexity, professional fit, project urgency and team configuration.
Additional Billing Rules
1.A 20%–40% travel and fieldwork allowance applies to case handling outside Sweden but within the EU; a 35%–60% travel and fieldwork allowance applies to cross-jurisdictional case handling outside the EU.
2.A 50% expedited service fee is charged for 48-hour urgent response, and for case handling during public holidays and non-working hours. This standard is strictly enforced with no room for special negotiation.
3.Rates are increased by 20% for EU multi-jurisdictional collaborative cases and cross-border regulatory response cases.
4.Rates are increased by 15% for dedicated multilingual court services and customised bilingual legal documents.
5.Rates are increased by 10%–25% for dedicated compliance cases involving EU export control, economic sanctions and anti-monopoly matters.
6.For customised legal services in highly regulated industries such as new energy, life sciences and high-end manufacturing, rates are increased by 10%–20% reflecting industry-specific professional barriers.
III. Fee Benchmark Breakdown for Core Practice Areas
This fee benchmark is centred on the core business lines of GUOZUN CATHAY ASSOCIATES’ Sweden office, adapted to the Swedish local legal system, unified EU regulatory rules, and the core demands of Chinese enterprises expanding into the Nordic region. All services comply with Swedish judicial and industry regulatory requirements. Details are specified below:
A. Two-Way Sino-Swedish Cross-Border Investment and M&A Legal Services: SEK 12,500 – SEK 88,000
1.Full-process agency for Chinese enterprises’ greenfield investment in Sweden, and the establishment of wholly-owned subsidiaries, regional headquarters and representative offices, including foreign investment access compliance screening and structural design.
2.Filing of local Swedish business qualifications, application for industry licences, and the design and implementation of foreign shareholding compliance solutions.
3.End-to-end services for two-way Sino-Swedish equity/asset M&A and joint venture cooperation projects, covering legal due diligence, transaction document drafting and negotiation, regulatory filing and full-process closing management.
4.Supporting legal services for cross-border investment and financing, VC/PE Nordic market entry, and cross-border financing of tech enterprises, including application for Swedish tax incentive policies and compliance implementation.
5.Dedicated legal services for enterprise equity restructuring, qualification changes, ongoing compliance maintenance of entities, and the deregistration and liquidation of cross-border enterprises.
B. Corporate Commercial and Annual Legal Advisory Services: SEK 8,500 – SEK 62,000 per annum
1.Basic full-process agency services for the establishment, alteration and deregistration of local Swedish market entities, and the handling of qualification licences.
2.Dedicated legal services for corporate governance structure optimisation, shareholders’ rights and interests protection, and internal control compliance system development.
3.Drafting, review, negotiation and risk management of all types of commercial contracts, cooperation agreements and internal rules and regulations.
4.Full-scenario legal consultation, compliance risk early warning, and pre-emptive handling of legal disputes for enterprises’ daily operations.
5.Annual compliance health checks for enterprises, interpretation of policies across Chinese and Swedish jurisdictions, compliance training and emergency response plan formulation.
C. EU Compliance System Establishment and Regulatory Response Legal Services: SEK 9,800 – SEK 75,000
1.End-to-end services for EU and Swedish local industry regulatory compliance, import and export control, and economic sanctions compliance.
2.Development of anti-corruption, anti-commercial bribery, anti-monopoly and anti-unfair competition compliance systems, and dedicated audits.
3.Dedicated services for EU ESG compliance system building, carbon neutrality and green economy compliance, and supply chain ESG due diligence.
4.Response to inspections by Swedish government authorities and EU regulatory bodies, reply to regulatory inquiries, administrative penalty defence and legal remedy services.
5.Enterprise compliance risk screening, internal compliance investigations, compliance training and full-process handling of compliance incidents.
D. Intellectual Property and Digital Economy Compliance Legal Services: SEK 3,200 – SEK 70,000
1.Full-process agency for the registration, application, renewal and alteration of patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets and industrial designs across Sweden and the EU.
2.Full-case agency for cross-border IP licensing and assignment, infringement risk screening, administrative complaints, judicial enforcement and dispute resolution.
3.Compliance implementation of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Swedish data protection legislation, and development of cross-border data transfer compliance frameworks.
4.Dedicated legal services relating to data security audits, personal information protection, artificial intelligence compliance, cybersecurity and the digital economy.
5.Dedicated services for global IP portfolio planning of tech enterprises and development of IP risk control systems for overseas brands.
E. Labour Employment and Cross-Border Personnel Mobility Legal Services: SEK 2,600 – SEK 35,000
1.Customised trilingual employment documentation aligned with Swedish employment law, including compliant drafting and review of labour contracts, employee handbooks and internal policies.
2.Design and implementation of compliance solutions for remuneration and benefits, working hours and leave, trade union consultation and collective bargaining.
3.Dedicated services for executive onboarding and exit negotiations, employee dismissal and redundancy compliance, non-competition and trade secret protection.
4.Full-process agency for cross-border personnel secondment, work permit and residence visa application, renewal and alteration.
5.Compliant handling of local Swedish labour disputes, full-process agency for labour arbitration and litigation, and response to labour authority inspections.
F. Cross-Border Dispute Resolution and Award Enforcement Legal Services: SEK 16,000 – SEK 550,000
1.Full-process representation in litigation before all levels of local Swedish courts, and full-case representation in arbitration proceedings before Swedish and international arbitral institutions (including the SCC and ICC).
2.Full-scope dispute resolution for Sino-Swedish cross-border commercial contract disputes, investment disputes, IP disputes, shareholders’ rights disputes and other related matters.
3.Mutual recognition and enforcement of Sino-Swedish and EU cross-border civil and commercial judgments and arbitral awards, and dedicated services for cross-border property preservation.
4.Cross-border debt collection, arrears recovery, commercial tort claims, and full-process agency for local Swedish compulsory enforcement procedures.
5.Commercial mediation, alternative dispute resolution (ADR), and supporting legal services for cross-border administrative disputes and criminal compliance.
Special Note: For major cross-border economic crimes, transnational financial violations and serious criminal cases, there is no fixed fee cap. Customised quotations will be prepared based on case complexity, scale of cross-border collaboration, evidence collection costs and case handling duration.
G. Tax Compliance and Cross-Border Wealth Management Legal Services: SEK 11,000 – SEK 50,000
1.Dedicated services for Swedish and EU tax compliance, cross-border investment tax planning, and enterprise tax structure optimisation.
2.Transfer pricing compliance, routine business tax advisory for enterprises, tax inspection response and tax dispute resolution services.
3.Legal services for cross-border wealth planning for high-net-worth individuals, cross-border asset allocation compliance, and the establishment and administration of family trusts.
4.Compliance and risk prevention services for cross-border inheritance, family law matters, and wealth management related to immigration.
5.Annual cross-border tax compliance health checks for enterprises, development of tax compliance systems and dedicated training services.
H. Customised Legal Services for Key Nordic Industries: SEK 22,000 – SEK 98,000
1.Tailored legal solutions for sectors including clean and new energy, life sciences and pharmaceuticals, high-end manufacturing and industrial technology.
2.Customised compliance and commercial legal services for industries such as tech and digital economy, retail and FMCG, shipping and logistics, and cultural and creative industries.
3.Full-cycle, end-to-end industry-specific legal support, aligned with Swedish and EU industry regulatory rules and commercial characteristics.
4.Industry policy interpretation, regulatory trend tracking, dedicated compliance risk screening and emergency response services.
IV. Core Determinants of Service Pricing
1.Cross-border compliance complexity: For cases or projects involving dual application of Chinese and Swedish laws, EU multi-jurisdictional collaboration, cross-border evidence collection, or multi-party entity coordination, fees will be increased proportionally based on actual difficulty.
2.Industry professional barriers: Fees for highly regulated and specialised fields such as new energy, life sciences, financial regulation and high-end manufacturing are higher than those for basic civil and commercial legal services.
3.Case handling difficulty: Fees for major litigation and arbitration, complex cross-border enforcement, EU dedicated regulatory response, transnational evidence gathering and other such matters will be dynamically adjusted according to handling difficulty.
4.Service urgency: For expedited project initiation, and case handling during non-working hours and statutory holidays, an expedited service fee will be charged strictly in accordance with the standard.
5.Cooperation procurement model: Compared with single-service procurement, packaged annual retainer cooperation and combined multi-service procurement can reduce overall service costs by 15%–25%.
6.Service team configuration: For multi-disciplinary expert joint representation, cross-border collaboration with the Beijing headquarters, and trilingual team support, fees will be adjusted in line with team composition.
7.Compliance and performance risks: For contingency fee arrangements applicable under exceptional circumstances, the fee ratio is directly correlated with case success probability, fund recovery difficulty, service duration and enforcement risks.
V. Breakdown of Third-Party Pass-Through Fees
The following fees are separate from legal service fees and are reimbursed at actual cost in accordance with Swedish official standards or actual disbursements. Our firm does not charge any markup for agency services:
1.Official government fees: Statutory fees charged by Swedish public authorities, including commercial entity registration fees, visa application fees, court filing fees, arbitration fees, IP official fees, and licence registration fees.
2.Notarisation and authentication fees: Fees for local Swedish notarisation, Hague apostille, Sino-Swedish consular authentication and other related services, settled on a reimbursement basis in accordance with official and partner institution rates.
3.Professional translation fees: Multilingual translation of legal documents and simultaneous interpretation for court hearings, settled per word or per assignment in line with Swedish translation industry standards.
4.Third-party professional service fees: Fees charged by professional institutions for judicial appraisal, industry expert consultation, third-party due diligence, auditing, valuation, compliance testing and other services, settled at actual cost.
5.Field travel expenses: Transportation, accommodation and fieldwork allowances incurred in domestic and overseas case handling, reimbursed on production of valid vouchers.
6.Financial handling fees: Bank charges incurred from cross-border transfers and currency conversion shall be borne by the client.
7.Other third-party fees: Other legitimate third-party expenses incurred in case or project handling not listed above, settled based on actual entrusted disbursements.
VI. Important Notices
The fee standards set out in this document constitute the official reference benchmarks for 2026 and do not constitute a contractual offer for legal services. The final fee for all legal services shall be determined by the written engagement contract signed by both parties, following a comprehensive assessment of client requirements, case circumstances and service scope.