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Kht & Partners

Shanghai, China

Bridging Continents Through Strategic Cross-Border Legal Counsel

Where Global Commerce Meets Chinese Legal Precision

Kht & Partners Shanghai operates as a dedicated hub for multinational enterprises seeking to thrive in China’s most sophisticated market. Unlike conventional law practices, we function as an integrated legal-commercial partner—combining deep dispute resolution expertise with actionable intelligence on cross-border trade, investment, and talent mobility. Our Shanghai team is specifically structured to serve as the legal anchor for foreign businesses requiring seamless coordination between common law and civil law jurisdictions.

Our Operational Philosophy: Integrated Legal-Commercial Strategy

We reject the traditional model of reactive legal services. Instead, our Shanghai practice applies a dual-risk framework that fuses legal compliance with commercial strategy. Every engagement begins with a jurisdictional mapping of potential liabilities—whether contractual, regulatory, or reputational—followed by the construction of enforceable safeguards embedded directly into your China operations. This approach ensures that legal protection is not an afterthought but a built-in feature of your market entry, supply chain, or intellectual property strategy.

Core Competencies – Shanghai Office

Cross-Border Dispute Resolution (Litigation, Arbitration, and Commercial Mediation)
Our Shanghai team is frequently retained for high-value, multi-jurisdictional disputes. We represent clients in institutional arbitrations before CIETAC, SIAC, and HKIAC, as well as in commercial litigation before Chinese courts and mediated settlements under the Shanghai International Commercial Mediation Center framework. We excel in cases involving parallel proceedings, asset freezing orders, and enforcement of interim measures across borders.

Cross-Border Investment (M&A, FDI, and Joint Ventures)
Shanghai remains the preferred gateway for foreign direct investment into China. We guide international clients through the full lifecycle of cross-border transactions—from structuring WFOEs and joint ventures to conducting legal due diligence on Chinese targets, negotiating share purchase agreements, and managing post-closing regulatory compliance. Our particular strength lies in bridging valuation gaps and governance expectations between Western investors and Chinese counterparties.

International Trade Compliance and Dispute Prevention
For manufacturers, traders, and logistics providers, we offer end-to-end trade legal support. This includes bilingual contract engineering (aligned with CISG and Chinese contract law), Incoterms advisory, customs classification reviews, and trade remedy responses (anti-dumping, countervailing duties). When disputes arise, we pursue claims for breach of quality, delivery, or payment terms through arbitration or litigation.

Intellectual Property – Strategic Protection and Aggressive Enforcement
In China’s fast-moving innovation landscape, passive IP ownership is insufficient. We provide a full-spectrum IP service: strategic portfolio registration (trademarks, patents, copyrights), pre-market clearance searches, contractual IP shielding in supply agreements, and enforcement actions including administrative complaints, customs seizures, and infringement litigation. Our Shanghai team has particular experience protecting software, luxury goods, and industrial designs.

Foreign Labor and Employment Law
Multinational employers face unique exposure under China’s labor law regime. We advise on executive employment contracts, non-compete and confidentiality clauses, cross-border secondment arrangements, termination and severance strategies, and dispute resolution involving foreign employees. We also represent employers in labor arbitration tribunals and before Shanghai’s district courts.

Why Shanghai-Based Clients Choose Us

  • Bicultural Execution Capability – Fluent English and Chinese legal drafting, combined with firsthand experience of how Western corporate governance interfaces with Chinese regulatory expectations.

  • Jurisdictional Fluency – Proven ability to coordinate between common law discovery procedures and civil law evidentiary rules, ensuring no strategic advantage is lost in translation.

  • Commercial Outcome Focus – Every legal recommendation is tested against your business objectives: cost, speed, enforceability, and long-term relationship preservation.

Partner with Kht & Partners Shanghai to turn legal complexity into competitive advantage.

About Kht & Partners

Founded in 2001

23 Offices

501 people in their team

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Practice areas
Lawsuits & Disputes
Bankruptcy & Debt
Corporate & Commercial

Languages spoken
English
French
Spanish
Russian
Arabic
Chinese

Social media

Practice areas

Types of Disputes We Handle

KHT & PARTNERS has extensive experience across a wide range of industries and dispute types. Our team handles complex cases involving:

  • Contract and Commercial Disputes – breaches of contract, non-performance, and payment disputes.
  • Shareholder and Partnership Disputes – internal corporate conflicts and ownership disagreements.
  • Intellectual Property Disputes – trademark, copyright, and patent infringement litigation.
  • Trade and Investment Disputes – conflicts arising from cross-border transactions or joint ventures.
  • Construction and Engineering Disputes – project delays, cost claims, and liability issues.
  • Debt Recovery and Enforcement – pursuing unpaid debts through litigation in China or arbitration.
  • Employment and Labor Conflicts – wrongful termination, compensation, and compliance issues.

Our team of litigation lawyers in China and arbitration experts is equipped to represent clients before major institutions such as CIETAC, ICC, HKIAC, and SIAC, ensuring comprehensive coverage for both local and international disputes.

Why Choose KHT & PARTNERS for Dispute Resolution

Choosing the right firm for litigation or arbitration in China can determine the success of your case. KHT & PARTNERS stands out for several key reasons:

  • Proven Track Record: We have successfully represented multinational clients in complex arbitration and litigation proceedings across China and beyond.
  • Bilingual Legal Team: Our lawyers are fluent in both Chinese and English, ensuring smooth communication and clear understanding of all legal documents.
  • Cross-Border Expertise: We specialize in international arbitration representation, guiding global clients through Chinese legal systems with strategic precision.
  • Tailored Strategies: Every case is approached with customized legal strategies designed to achieve efficient and cost-effective resolutions.
  • Strong Success Rate: Our consistent results in arbitration and court cases reflect our deep understanding of arbitration law in China and the evolving regulatory landscape.

Foreign Judgment Enforcement

One of KHT & PARTNERS’ core strengths lies in assisting international clients with the recognition and enforcement of foreign court judgments and arbitration awards in China.

Our firm helps overseas businesses and individuals navigate the procedural and regulatory challenges involved in enforcing judgments under Chinese arbitration law. We handle all stages of the process, from verifying reciprocity agreements to filing enforcement petitions with Chinese courts.

With our experience in both international and domestic jurisdictions, clients can rely on us to secure favorable enforcement outcomes and ensure their rights are protected within China’s legal framework.

Commercial Litigation
Dispute Prevention & Pre-Litigation

Debt Collection Process in China

Our approach to debt collection in China follows a clear and proven step-by-step process designed to maximize recovery while minimizing risk for our clients:

  1. Case Evaluation – We assess the claim, review contracts and evidence, and determine the debtor’s financial situation.
  2. Demand Letter & Negotiation – A formal demand letter is issued to the debtor, followed by negotiation or mediation to seek a voluntary settlement.
  3. Pre-Litigation Actions – We engage with the debtor directly through verified communication channels to reach resolution before legal action.
  4. Litigation / Arbitration – If negotiation fails, we initiate court proceedings or arbitration depending on contract terms and jurisdiction.
  5. Judgment Enforcement – Once a judgment or arbitration award is obtained, we enforce it through Chinese courts, ensuring recovery of funds or assets.
  6. Debt Remittance – After successful recovery, funds are securely transferred to the client’s designated account.

This structured process enables us to act quickly and efficiently, whether the debtor is located in mainland China or operating internationally.

For Foreign Creditors and International Clients

As a Chinese debt collection agency with global reach, KHT & PARTNERS has helped hundreds of foreign businesses recover commercial debts in China. We offer complete end-to-end support for overseas clients, including:

  • Communication and negotiation in both English and Chinese
  • Verification of Chinese company information and financial records
  • Enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitration awards in China under applicable international treaties
  • Coordination with embassies, chambers of commerce, and local authorities when required


Our multilingual legal team ensures every step is transparent, legally compliant, and aligned with international commercial standards.

Types of Debt Collection Cases Handled

We handle a wide range of debt recovery in China matters, including:

  • Unpaid invoices and commercial debts
  • Supplier payment disputes or non-delivery of goods
  • Loan defaults and promissory note enforcement
  • Breach of sales or distribution contracts
  • Collection of foreign court judgments and arbitration awards
  • Corporate and trade debt recovery for SMEs and large enterprises

Whether the dispute involves a single transaction or multiple cross-border claims, our team provides customized legal strategies for maximum recovery.

No Win, No Fee Policy

KHT & PARTNERS operates on a “No Win, No Fee” principle for most China debt collection agency cases. This means we charge no legal fees unless your debt is successfully recovered. Our clients bear no financial risk upfront, only a success-based commission applies after payment is received.

In exceptional cases involving complex litigation or international enforcement, a minimal administrative fee may be discussed beforehand. This transparent policy ensures fairness and confidence for our clients worldwide.

Debt & Collection

We are advising more and more clients in the following issues:

  • International Trade Remedies
  • Cross-border Customs Matters
  • Money Refund and Trade Debt Collection
  • Goods and Service Imports & Exports
  • Liabilities for Breach of Contract
  • Consultation on Aviation and Shipping
  • Drafting and Reviewing of Purchase Contract
  • Commercial Fraud and Civil Theft
  • Suppliers’ Business Qualification Verification
  • Trade Partners Disputes and Dissolutions
  • WTO-related Trade Policies Consultation

Commercial Contracts Draft and Review

Contract lawyer in China mainly focus on commercial contracts draft and review, as contract plays a very important role in business mode design and risk management, since it is the most frequently used document for all kinds of business. Our legal professionals have obtained rich experience in drafting and reviewing contract for different business types, based on thousands of contracts experience and professional communication with the clients for each contract, which ensures good quality and meeting the clients’ tailored business needs. We offer contract service such as:

Investment Contracts
Labor Contracts
Purchase Contracts
Outsourcing contracts
Hotel Management Contracts
Franchising and Licensing Contracts
Other kinds of Commercial Contracts

Business Registration
Contract
Due Diligence
Franchising
Licensing
Merger & Acquisition
International Trade Law
Corporate Governance

Need help with a legal matter?

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Case results

Secures Full Victory for UAE Importer in Major Cross-Border Sales Dispute, Recouping Nearly USD 3 Million in Losses

Civil Litigation

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