Andrew Halper

Andrew Halper heads the CMS UK China Group, advising Western companies doing business in China across a wide array of sectors, and also advising Chinese companies doing business outside the PRC. He has specialised in Chinese matters since 1989. He worked in Beijing from 1991 to 1998, first as a diplomat and then as a lawyer. His work centres around cross-border transactions and international investment relating to China, including mergers and acquisitions, technology licensing, international franchise and business restructuring.

Andrew has advised many companies on their overall China investment strategies, including high-tech and life science companies in their intellectual property matters in China. He represented one of the world's leading internet gaming companies on its complex transaction with a major PRC conglomerate, and has also acted for some leading UK high street retailers on their establishment in China. He has published in the areas of Chinese company law, intellectual property and also financial services, having recently edited the Oxford University Press' Financial Services Regulation in Asia Pacific (2nd edition, 2008).

Educated at the University of British Columbia (BA in Chinese, LLB in Law) and the University of Paris-Sorbonne (DEA in Comparative Law), Andrew is fluent speaker of Chinese and French. He is qualified to practice in England (since 1999) and Canada (since 1982).