Preston Gates & Ellis Expands in Asia

Law firm Preston Gates & Ellis LLP is expanding its operations in Asia.

The Seattle-based firm has added 10 attorneys to its Hong Kong office by combining that office with the local firm of Aggarwal & Associates to form Preston Gates & Ellis — Solicitors.

Preston Gates also has recently formed an alliance in mainland China with the the local law firm TransAsia to further expand its capabilities to serve IT companies and entities wishing to invest or list internationally. TransAsia, which has offices in Beijing and Shanghai, is one of the foremost authorities on Internet and IT law in China, and includes among its clients Sohu.com, News Digital Systems, DoubleClick and ChinaByte.com.

TransAsia also recently played a leading role in publishing China’s Internet Policy & Legislation, which is widely recognized as a key source of information on this topic.

According to King Wai Hui, who heads Preston Gates’ Hong Kong Office, the growth in technology-related activity in Hong Kong and China over the past year, due to factors such as the opening of a new ‘Growth Enterprise Market’ on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, means that much of the work has a U.S. — and in particular a West Coast — connection.

“As the oldest law firm in the Pacific Northwest and a leader in technology and intellectual property law, it
makes sense for Preston Gates & Ellis to take on an even greater role in Asia.”

Seattle attorney David Tang, who has overseen Preston Gates’ expansion in Asia, believes that with China’s imminent entry into the World Trade Organization and the recent upswing in the Greater China economies, the time was right to develop this relationship with TransAsia, which is well known for its expertise and experience in direct investment and Internet matters.