Search Results - China law firm

1. China Jails Activist Lawyer For 7 Years on Subversion Charge
August 04, 2016

A court in China jailed a prominent human rights lawyer for seven years on Thursday for subverting the government, state media said, the latest in a string of convictions linked to an unprecedented crackdown on legal defenders. Zhou Shifeng, 51, the director of the Beijing Fengrui law firm, is among dozens of lawyers and activists who since July last year have been swept up in a crackdown on dissent. President Xi Jinping's administration has tightened control over almost every aspect of civil society since 2012, citing the need to buttress national security and stability. But t... (read more)

2. China Smartphone Maker Purchases Patents from Microsoft
June 22, 2016

HONG KONG— Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi has purchased 1,500 patents from Microsoft, as part of an effort by Chinese companies to acquire intellectual property rights in preparation for expansion into overseas markets. In exchange Microsoft-owned software will be bundled on Xiaomi phones. Ningling Wang, a partner in Shanghai with the law firm Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, said the Xiaomi Microsoft deal may indicate that Xiaomi intends to sell phones to American consumers. “I think they are doing what a U.S. patent attorney would like to see. They are stre... (read more)

3. China's Live Streaming Apps Surging in Popularity
June 01, 2016

HONG KONG— Live streaming phone apps have surged in popularity in China, attracting investment and, at least for now, a huge fan base of users. Chinese mobile video applications, such as Ingkee, are similar to Twitter’s Periscope and Facebook Live, and allow streamers to distribute live video and simultaneously interact with viewers. Paul Haswell, a partner with the international law firm Pinsent Masons, said live streaming apps allow ordinary Chinese citizens to stream anything they want.  Haswell said, “They are successful for the same reasons they are successful in th... (read more)

4. Panama Papers Unlikely to Alter China's Crackdown on Corruption
April 08, 2016

HONG KONG— The massive leak of more than 11 million emails tied to a law firm in Panama, which revealed the business dealings of several of China’s political elite, comes during a crackdown on corruption under China’s President Xi Jinping. The crackdown has netted more than 30,000 people in China who have been punished for corruption. But critics of this crackdown say its a convenient way for political leaders to banish their enemies. Willy Lam, a China Scholar at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said the recent leaks give weight to their argument. “The fact t... (read more)

5. China was Largest Market for Panama Papers Law Firm
April 07, 2016

BEIJING— A massive data leak from a Panamanian firm has revealed that from relatives of the founding father of the People's Republic of China, Mao Zedong, to current leader Xi Jinping, offshore holdings are common place among the families of China's ruling elite.  Among the more than 11 million documents are details about the offshore holdings of relatives of at least seven current and former Politburo Standing Committee members, a powerful political body in China, and the grandson-in-law of the founding father of the People’s Republic of China, Mao Zedong. On Wedne... (read more)

6. Russian Public Unfazed by Panama Papers
April 06, 2016

MOSCOW— People around the world have reacted with shock and outrage to the trove of documents leaked from a law firm in Panama that revealed secret bank accounts connected to hundreds of public officials, politicians and celebrities.  The list of notables includes the current leaders of Argentina, Britain, China, Iceland, Russia, and Ukraine, among others, or people closely linked to them.  But, while the Panama Papers named close friends of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and suggested Putin himself might be involved, the reaction of the Russian public has been muted.  ... (read more)