| A few decades ago there was hardly any
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| | - sort of like the teenager who won't
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| such field as international law - only
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| | shave off his peach fuzz because it
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| domestic law representing clients with
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| | "proves I'm a man".
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| funny sounding names. Although that
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| | Better to forget about the prestige
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| situation has changed, the globe is not
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| | factor involved in practicing
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| yet as borderless as the media would have
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| | international law overseas. Holding a
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| us believe it is. Nevertheless, US
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| | prestigious job is like marrying a
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| lawyers are heading to China in
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| | fashion model - it's cool at first, but
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| increasing numbers to practice "cutting
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| | hey, law is a jealous mistress - after a
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| edge" foreign investment law, and many of
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| | couple of months the magic wears off and
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| these adventurers are fresh out of law
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| | you're going to have to live with her day
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| school. Conventional wisdom has it that
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| | after day, for better or for worse.
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| heading overseas straight out of law
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| | Anyway, "our China Office" really means
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| school will ruin your career back home
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| | "our China Rep Office". Keep in mind that
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| should you ever want to relocate
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| | in China, representative offices may not
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| stateside.
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| | engage in profit-generating activities.
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| I beg to differ. I know of a young man
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| | So how do US law firms get away with it?
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| who graduated from law school in the
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| | To be sure, a few of them are mostly
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| mid-nineties with a high GPA, fluency in
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| | engaged in the Western legal side of
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| Mandarin Chinese, and experience as a
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| | sophisticated cross-border transactions
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| Summer Associate in the Beijing office of
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| | (and thus not generally in the market for
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| a major international law firm. He had
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| | new graduates), but the rest are
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| caught the "Asia bug" and returned so
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| | practicing Chinese law illegally. They
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| fast that his diploma had to be mailed to
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| | get away with this in Beijing and Hong
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| him across the Pacific. Around the turn
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| | Kong (not so often in Shanghai) because
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| of the millennium he returned to the US
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| | the Chinese authorities turn their heads,
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| to test out the theory that "you can't go
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| | ignoring the wounded howls of jilted (and
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| home again". With only a few months of
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| | well-qualified) Chinese lawyers. The
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| effort he was able to land a premium
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| | reality is that many foreign investors
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| position as a delivery driver for Pizza
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| | still feel more comfortable retaining US
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| Hut, making a full dollar an hour above
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| | lawyers even though top Chinese lawyers
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| minimum wage (plus tips!).
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| | are far better able to understand legal
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| Let's get serious. Before you take a leap
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| | and linguistic nuances that American
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| across the Pacific, take a look in the
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| | lawyers are likely to overlook.
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| mirror and ask yourself this question:
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| | In other words, US lawyers are tolerated
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| "Am I an 'international Lawyer', or am I
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| | by the Chinese authorities because they
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| an 'International lawyer'?" (note the
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| | help attract foreign investment. When the
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| differences in capitalization). What's
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| | English language ability of Chinese
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| Plan B in case practicing law in China
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| | lawyers improves enough to inspire
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| falls through? Will you be practicing law
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| | greater confidence among foreign
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| in the United States, or will you be
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| | investors, the Chinese government may
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| teaching English in China? What excites
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| | start rolling up the welcome mat under
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| you about China law - China, or law?
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| | the feet of American lawyers. And it
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| Because when all is said and done, an
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| | won't even take a new law to throw them
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| office is an office whether it's in
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| | out - only enforcement of existing law.
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| Beijing, New York, or London. And like it
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| | Imagine the spectacle of former China
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| or not, the inside of an office is where
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| | investment lawyers returning to the US
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| the average lawyer spends most of his/her
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| | wearing sandwich boards reading "Will
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| waking hours. Likewise, legal work is
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| | Litigate for Food". Don't get caught in
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| legal work; there's not any exciting
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| | mid-career all dressed up with no place
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| difference between systems of business
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| | to go.
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| law whether you're consulting with
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| | The god news is, there is a loophole:
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| clients and drafting documents in
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| | China allows legal advisors who are not
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| Mandarin Chinese, English, or
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| | admitted to the local bar association to
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| Serbo-Croatian.
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| | work in certain jobs that would require
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| Then there's the Prestige Factor. It's
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| | bar membership in the US. Included among
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| very stylish these days for medium and
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| | such positions is corporate counsel - at
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| large sized law firms to prattle on and
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| | their best, 9 to 5 jobs that come with
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| on about "our China Office" - and what's
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| | six-figure incomes. In case six figures
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| more, a China office allows for the
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| | isn't enough for you, these positions
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| issuance of impressive-looking bilingual
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| | often provide opportunities for greater
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| business cards. It's become such a potent
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| | wealth as the company grows - stock
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| status symbol that many firms (I strongly
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| | options, for example.
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| suspect) are holding on to money-losing
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| | Forget the international law firms doing
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| offices in China just so they can keep
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| | the big sexy deals. If you are dead-set
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| Beijing on the list of cities where their
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| | on China law, then grind out 2-4 years of
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| firm has offices. Medium sized law firms
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| | business law experience in the US, and
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| in particular like to set up China
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| | look for a job in the legal department of
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| offices to prove to their clients their
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| | the China office of a Western
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| status as Big Time International Players
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| | multinational.
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