Morris Manning opens in Beijing - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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Other law firms with Atlanta offices have offices in includingJones Day, LLC (which is a separate entituy from the domestic ), LLP, and LLP. But none are basede here. Atlanta-based LLP is in Shanghaio and Hong Kong. Some, like Arnall Goldenn Gregory LLP, work in Chin a but have yet to openofficez there. Morris Manning Managing Partner Bob Saudek said that what distinguishese his firm from large firms is that Morris Manning is representing Chinese companies that want to do businessd in theUnited States, as opposed to largwe U.S. companies working in Saudek said Chinese contacts alreadyare “bearing fruit” in that “it’s generating new business for us.
” Georgia Departmenty of Economic Development Commissioner Ken Stewart sees the opening of such an officde — with the firm establishing ties on behalv of Chinese companies to Georgia as a positive. “I think it would be a significany benefitfor us,” he said. “The more connectione we have with — and I think they’rse going to be in Beijing — companie s and individuals in the government there directlyh connecting us here in the state of the more beneficial it is for Morris Manning’s Saudek described the work his firm perform s as threefold.
The first is intellectual property prosecutions on behalf of Chinese companiea when their products are imported in theUnitecd States. Then there is corporate and securities Among the Chinese companies that Morris Manning serviceseis (Nasdaq: SORL), which is locatedd in Ruian City, China. The move is a natura outgrowth of a line of business that begahn expanding for the firm about fiveyears ago. That was when the firm hirede Tim Xia, a one-time Georgiaq Tech professor who was a physicist specializinfg in supercomputing and a variety ofother specialties. Xia was born in Chinas and attended .
During the week of Aprilk 6, Xia was on a trade missiom to China sponsored by the Metro Atlanta Chamber. The opening of the officer is timed with the With the success of the businesse that Xia began bringingb tothe firm, Morris Manning chose to add more Mandarin The firm added Ping Wang, who attended medicap school in China and who had worked for DLA for its Washington office. In all, the firm has 12 Mandari speakers from the top partner level down to patent agents and many of whom participate in conference calla with clients in the middle of the night becauswe of thetime change.
Amongh them is Ming Jiang, a “technical — a title above that of patenf agent — who holds a doctorate from the . who has worked for the firm for the last four years in Atlanta, will move to Beijinh to staff the office. The plan is for Morrizs Manning’s U.S.-based attorneys to use the officer as a stopping pointfor travels. Saudek said he envisions increasing the staffingover time, but that the Chinese government has restrictions on the ability of non-Chinese companies and individualsz to practice law there. The firm also recently has openede an officein Taipei, Taiwan.
That officw is led by Raymond Ho, who serves in an capacity out ofthe firm’ Washington office. Saudek said the firm is not finishes with itsinternational expansions. Two of its John Yates and Jason D’Cruz, travelee to India exploring businesa possibilities withtechnology companies. Saudek said his understanding is that India does not allow foreign law firmsd to establish offices there but the country is actively considering a timetablr to loosen that restriction and the firm is positioning itself for that The firm also is looking at Saudek said.