WHO WE ARE

Maarten Roos

Originally from the Netherlands, Maarten moved to China in 1999 and worked for 8 years at Wang Jing & Co., building its corporate practice first in Guangzhou and then in Shanghai. He joined R&P when it was established, in 2010.

In more than 20 years in China, Maarten has built a profound understanding of the Chinese legal and business environments. Maarten advises and represents European, North American and Australian companies with business interests in China, focusing mainly on investment projects and corporate activities, commercial transactions, intellectual property rights protection and dispute resolution. He has worked on numerous complex M&A deals, corporate (re-)structuring and company liquidations, and compliance investigations, and frequently represents foreign clients in negotiations with Chinese business partners and government officials.

Maarten’s clients include companies listed in Europe, Hong Kong or the United States; large privately-owned enterprises; as well as small- to medium-sized family businesses. They operate across a broad range of industries, including retail, manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture & horticulture, entertainment, trading and services.

Maarten has authored numerous articles on a broad range of topics relating to Chinese law and the legal challenges that foreign companies face when doing business in China. He has also authored two books: Chinese Commercial Law: A Practical Guide (Kluwer Law International, 2010) and Corporate Acquisitions and Mergers – China (Kluwer Law International, 2020; co-authored with Rogier van Bijnen).

Maarten is on the supervisory board of 30+ subsidiaries of multinationals in China, and he is an arbitrator of the Shanghai International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (Shanghai Arbitration Center / SHIAC) specializing in disputes on foreign investment, joint ventures and international cooperation, corporate law and contract law.

He was educated at Leiden University, Guangzhou’s Sun Yat-sen University and the Hong Kong Open University and completed the Harvard executive education course “Leaders for Lawyers (2018)”. He is fluent in English, Dutch and Chinese (Mandarin).

ACCOLADES

  • 2008-2011 Asialaw (PRC; General Corporate Practice, Dispute Resolution)
  • 2012-2013 Asialaw (PRC; General Corporate Practice, Dispute Resolution, Corporate Governance)
  • 2014-2020 Asialaw (PRC; Corporate and M&A, Dispute Resolution, Intellectual Property)
  • 2022 (autumn) Mondaq (Thought Leadership Award)
  • 2022-2023 IFLR1000, Notable Practitioner (PRC; Corporate and M&A)
  • 2022-2023 Chambers & Partners, Notable Practitioner (Greater China Region; Corporate / Commercial)
  • 2020-2023 Legal 500, Key Individual (Shanghai; Employment)
  • Maarten has also received broad recognition in major international legal directories such as Chambers & Partners, Legal500, and Asialaw Profiles, both for his practice and his leadership:
  • Not afraid to advise clients on next steps - contrary to many other lawyers. (Asialaw Profiles, 2019)
  • [An] extremely dynamic leader and a stable and reliable business partner at the same time. (Legal500)

REPRESENTATIVE CASES

  • Assisted a global retailer in groceries, to structure and implement its subsidiary in China, set-up a sourcing system, and establish branches.
  • Assisted a European clothing retailer to develop its China business with more than 120 branches all over China within a period of three years.
  • Assisted a client in the agriculture sector to establish two joint ventures for pig farmer and feed additives.
  • Assisted a global retailer in sportwear to negotiate lease contracts with landlords all over China.
  • Assisted and represents a global retailer on establishing a China joint venture with a major Chinese brand, and restructuring the existing business under this joint venture.
  • Assisted a US government-funded NGO to establish an NGO Representative Office in Shanghai.
  • Assisted a European company on the liquidation of its subsidiaries in Shanghai, Xiamen and Shenzhen.
  • Assisted and represented the Chinese subsidiary of a European client to claim debts from a bankrupt shipbuilder.
  • Completed the China due diligence and restructuring for a global M&A deal involving a European company in the additives business.
  • Assisted a Singapore-invested company to sell its Chinese subsidiaries to a major European chemicals enterprise.
  • Assisted an American client on implementing a management buy-out at its Beijing subsidiary.
  • Supported investigation of the purchasing team of a German-invested manufacturing subsidiary in the automotive industry, terminate employees and introduce a new compliance system.
  • Assisted a fast-fashion retailer to deal with local authorities in a compliance investigation of the company for quality issues at its Chinese stores.
  • Completed a compliance audit of a Swiss multinational’s operations in Shanghai.
  • Provided compliance trainings to the foreign management of a leading European retailer.
  • Assisted a global shipbuilder in an international arbitration before the ICC in Austria.
  • Assisted a German manufacturer in re-arbitration proceedings before the SHIAC.
  • Assisted the client in an arbitration claim with the CETIAC in Beijing for a project development in Henan Province.
  • Assisted a manufacturing client in Suzhou to report unpaid social insurance and housing fund contributions for a period of 5 years.
  • Assisted on and organized the termination of local senior management of a Dutch-invested company for mis-management.
  • Assisted on and implemented the economic redundancy of the major part of the workforce for the trading subsidiary of an Australian client.
  • Assisted numerous clients with the drafting of employment contracts, staff handbook and compliance policies.
  • Assisted numerous clients across a broad range of industries on IP protection in China, mainly focusing on trademark applications, appeals, oppositions and non-use cancellations.
  • Assisted a European client in the fashion industry in filing Customs seizures, organizing raids and filing civil lawsuits against infringers of its trademarks and copyrights in China.
  • Negotiated for major fast-fashion retailer and purchased its Chinese trademark for CNY 15 million.
  • Assisted numerous clients to draft purchase contracts, manufacturing contracts and OEM contracts with Chinese manufacturers.
  • Assisted numerous clients on negotiating and drafting agreements with Chinese distributors for distribution of their products in the Chinese market through online and offline channels.
  • Assisted an American client on tax matters relating to its corporate structure and pending sale to a large multinational.
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