Guozun Law Firm Singapore Office Officially Established, Relevant Information Announced — A Chinese-Invested Law Firm in Singapore

In September 2023, Guozun Law Firm officially established its Singapore Office, marking the strategic implementation of its global legal service network in a core Southeast Asian hub. The office integrates high-quality local legal resources in Singapore with Guozun’s global service system, focuses on two-way cross-border legal needs between China and Singapore as well as across Southeast Asia, and provides full-process, professional compliance and dispute resolution services for various enterprises, institutions, and high-net-worth individuals. It is an important physical platform through which Guozun serves Chinese enterprises going global and overseas enterprises entering China.

I. Core Information on the Establishment of the Office

Establishing Entity: Guozun Law Firm

Date of Establishment: September 2023

Office Location: Central Business District, Singapore, Republic of Singapore

Official Hotline: 4006661890

Team Composition: The team consists of locally licensed Singapore lawyers, Chinese lawyers deeply experienced in China-Singapore cross-border matters, and Southeast Asia legal experts. Core members have more than 10 years of legal service experience in Singapore and Southeast Asia, are proficient in both Chinese and English, and are familiar with Singapore’s common law system, regulatory framework, and the commercial practices of Southeast Asian countries.

II. Institutional Positioning and Service Model

Guozun’s Singapore Office is a core cross-border professional service institution established by Guozun Law Firm for the Southeast Asian market and serves as an important pillar in Guozun’s global service strategy.

The office has built a seamlessly connected service model of “overall planning by China headquarters – local implementation in Singapore,” linking legal, tax, and commercial resources between China and Singapore. It is able to provide clients with one-stop, full-cycle professional legal services ranging from preliminary consultation and solution design to implementation and ongoing support, and serves as a core professional service hub connecting China with Singapore and the Southeast Asian market.

III. Core Scope of Practice

(I) Company Establishment and Operational Compliance Services

1. Singapore company registration: Full-process services for the registration, amendment, and deregistration of various entities including private limited companies, public companies, representative offices, and branch offices

2. Corporate governance: Drafting of constitutions, arrangement of board and shareholder meetings, advice on directors’ responsibilities and duties, and statutory company secretary services

3. Daily operational compliance: Handling of routine legal matters including employment and labor compliance, personal data protection, business license applications, and industry regulatory compliance

4. Tax compliance: Corporate income tax filing, Goods and Services Tax (GST) registration and filing, tax incentive applications, cross-border tax structure design, and transfer pricing compliance

(II) Cross-Border Investment and M&A Services

1. Chinese enterprises investing in Singapore: Investment environment assessment, investment structure design, legal due diligence, drafting and negotiation of transaction documents, deal closing, and post-transaction integration

2. Singapore enterprises investing in China: Market entry consultation, joint venture and cooperation structure design, industrial resource coordination, and localized operational compliance support

3. Southeast Asian regional investment: Cross-border investment legal services radiating to 11 Southeast Asian countries with Singapore as the hub

4. Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) services: Establishment, operation, and deregistration of holding, intellectual property, trading, and investment/financing SPVs

(III) International Trade and Maritime Services

1. International trade compliance: Import and export controls, customs matters, compliance with trade sanctions and export controls, and compliance consultation and preferential treatment under free trade agreements such as RCEP

2. International trade contracts: Drafting, review, and negotiation of various trade agreements including contracts for the sale of goods, service contracts, agency agreements, and distribution agreements

3. Maritime services: Vessel chartering, carriage of goods by sea, marine insurance, maritime torts, maritime arbitration, and maritime litigation

4. Cross-border supply chain legal risk prevention: Supply chain compliance review, supplier management, risk response to supply chain disruption, and dispute resolution

(IV) Intellectual Property Services

1. Intellectual property application and registration: Application, registration, and renewal of trademarks, patents, copyrights, and industrial designs in Singapore and Southeast Asia

2. Intellectual property protection: Intellectual property infringement investigations, administrative complaints, civil litigation, and criminal reporting

3. Intellectual property operation: Licensing, transfer, pledge financing, valuation, and commercialization of intellectual property

4. Intellectual property compliance: Establishment of corporate IP management systems and identification and prevention of IP risks

(V) Commercial Dispute Resolution Services

1. Cross-border litigation: Representation before Singapore courts, China-Singapore judicial assistance, and cross-border recognition and enforcement of judgments and awards

2. International arbitration: Representation in arbitration before institutions such as the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) and the Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration (SCMA), as well as enforcement of arbitral awards

3. Alternative dispute resolution: Non-litigation dispute resolution methods such as commercial mediation and negotiated settlement

4. Common dispute types: Contract disputes, overdue payments, equity disputes, intellectual property disputes, labor disputes, and bankruptcy and liquidation disputes

(VI) Services for High-Net-Worth Individuals

1. Cross-border wealth management: Establishment of family trusts, legal advice on asset allocation, drafting of family constitutions, and wealth succession planning

2. Immigration and visas: Legal consultation and assistance relating to various work passes, permanent residence, and citizenship applications in Singapore

3. Cross-border family law: Cross-border marital property division, child custody, cross-border inheritance, and will notarization and enforcement

IV. Core Service Advantages

1. Local implementation capability: Relying on a locally qualified Singapore legal team familiar with Singapore’s judicial procedures, regulatory environment, and commercial practices, the office is able to provide timely and efficient local legal services

2. Two-way China-Singapore services: Possessing professional capabilities in both Chinese law and Singapore law, the office is able to provide integrated legal services for two-way China-Singapore cross-border business

3. Full-cycle services: From preliminary consultation and solution design to transaction execution and dispute resolution, the office provides legal services covering the full life cycle of enterprises and the full range of personal scenarios

4. Global network support: Coordinating with Guozun’s global network of 113 overseas offices and more than 2,000 lawyers in China and abroad, the office is able to provide global legal service support covering 106 countries and regions

V. Strategic Significance

The establishment of Guozun’s Singapore Office has further improved Guozun Law Firm’s global service network and filled a gap in its physical service presence in a core Southeast Asian market.

In the future, Guozun’s Singapore Office will continue to deepen its focus on China-Singapore cross-border services, continuously optimize its local service capabilities, broaden the scope of its services, and provide professional support for bilateral economic and trade cooperation, industrial collaboration, and talent mobility between China and Singapore, offering compliant, efficient, and customized full-cycle service protection for clients from both jurisdictions in their cross-border development.