Legal Service Overview
GEI Legal Services provides integrated cross-border commercial legal governance for multinational companies, overseas investors and foreign-invested enterprises operating in China, helping foreign entities maintain stable, compliant and audit-ready legal status in a complex and evolving regulatory environment.
Core Positioning: FDI-Focused Legal Compliance
FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) forms the foundational regulatory framework of our entire legal service system.The core foundational law is the Foreign Investment Law of the People’s Republic of China (2020), establishing the core supervision principle of pre-establishment national treatment plus negative list management (Article 4). Key supporting regulations include the Regulations for Implementation of the Foreign Investment Law, the Special Administrative Measures (Negative List) for Foreign Investment Access (2024 Edition, effective 1 November 2024), the Catalogue of Industries for Encouraging Foreign Investment (2025 Edition, effective 1 February 2026), the revised PRC Company Law (effective 1 July 2024), the Measures for Foreign Investment Information Reporting, and national security review & cross-border regulatory frameworks.
The 2024 Negative List further opened market access, eliminating all remaining manufacturing sector foreign ownership restrictions and reducing restricted measures from 31 to 29 items. Industries outside the negative list follow equal national treatment rules, while restricted sectors must comply with specific shareholding ratios, board composition and licensing requirements. Additional key ongoing compliance obligations include regular FDI information filings, annual foreign investment reporting, cross-border transaction reviews, national security review triggers, and updated corporate governance rules under the revised Company Law, including capital contribution rules, director accountability and annual compliance disclosures.
We strictly align all legal advisory procedures with the latest FDI regulatory rules, helping foreign investors eliminate policy misunderstanding, avoid market access violations, and maintain continuous regulatory compliance throughout their China investment lifecycle.
Comprehensive Foreign Enterprise Legal Governance Framework
Our legal practice covers the full scope of onshore business compliance for foreign investors, governed by the Foreign Investment Law, negative list management rules, revised PRC Company Law, the Civil Code, contract regulations and IP protection systems. Different from general domestic legal services, our system focuses on cross-border scenario compliance, including foreign investment admission rules, cross-border transaction validity under the Foreign-Related Civil Relations Law Application Law, foreign exchange linkage supervision, and foreign enterprise annual filing obligations. We standardise local legal operations to match global group compliance requirements, covering WFOE structure governance, equity changes, re-investment compliance and formal annual disclosure filings, while also addressing data compliance rules and personal information protection regulations for cross-border business operations.
Cross-Border Operational & Transaction Risk Control
Foreign-invested enterprises face unique legal risks arising from cross-jurisdictional differences, bilingual commercial contracts, frequent regulatory updates and regional policy variations. We deliver structured pre-risk prevention and in-process governance for daily commercial activities, corporate restructuring, M&A transactions and cross-border cooperation agreements, based on the Civil Code, Foreign-Related Civil Relations Law Application Law, the revised Arbitration Law (effective 1 March 2026) and the 2023 revised Civil Procedure Law. These rules govern contract validity, choice of governing law, dispute resolution clauses, cross-border enforcement and preservation measures, alongside relevant judicial interpretations on FDI investment contracts. Our framework eliminates legal blind spots caused by inconsistent understanding between overseas headquarters and local Chinese regulatory practices, establishing compliant terms for cross-border service agreements, intercompany transactions and related-party contracts.
Stable Long-term Legal Protection for Foreign Investment
We focus on sustainable legal risk management rather than one-off case handling. Our dispute resolution and asset protection framework is built upon the revised Arbitration Law, Civil Procedure Law, the Trademark Law (2019 revision), Patent Law, Copyright Law, and the Regulations on Handling Foreign-Related Intellectual Property Disputes (effective 1 May 2025), together with international frameworks including the New York Convention for arbitral award enforcement. By establishing standardized internal legal control mechanisms, continuous compliance monitoring and professional dispute response mechanisms, we reduce regulatory penalties, operational restrictions and commercial dispute losses. Our legal system provides solid foundational support for foreign companies’ daily operations, cross-border capital arrangements, profit repatriation and long-term market expansion in China, balancing market openness with systematic regulatory risk mitigation and formal IP asset protection.
Comprehensive Legal Services for Secure China Operations
Corporate Legal Advisory
Ongoing compliance and governance support for foreign-invested enterprises. We handle regulatory filings, board resolutions, and daily legal checks to ensure your entity strictly adheres to the Foreign Investment Law and revised PRC Company Law.
Contract Review
Structured risk mitigation for cross-border and domestic agreements. We review bilingual contracts to validate governing laws, identify liability traps, and ensure foreign exchange compliance, protecting your business from future commercial disputes.
Litigation Support
Strategic defense for commercial disputes and regulatory inquiries. We manage pre-litigation assessments, arbitration, and cross-border enforcement under the New York Convention to minimize business disruption and protect your brand reputation.
Trademark Consultan
End-to-end brand protection tailored for foreign enterprises. We handle China trademark searches, CNIPA registrations, and long-term portfolio management to prevent brand squatting and secure your exclusive legal rights.
