Spanish giant Cuatrecasas is to open an office in Shanghai, having last week (5 June) received regulatory clearance from the Chinese Government.

Omar Puertas, a senior associate who has been based in Shanghai since early 2007 working on the license approval, will manage the new operation, which the firm hopes will make its debut in September.

The new office will target Chinese clients looking to invest in Europe and Latin America as well as servicing existing clients with interests in China. The firm expects to hire a handful of lawyers locally and is also set to relocate a number of fee earners from its Spanish base.

The news comes after Cuatrecasas opened a new three-lawyer office in Casablanca in April.

Commenting on the Shanghai move, Puertas said: "[The new office will] provide clients with an insight into the Chinese legal system to promote foreign investment there. The current global economic situation strengthens China's position in the world."

Cuatrecasas is one of the largest independent firms on the Continent and numbers around 950 lawyers. The firm has a presence in Brussels, London, New York, Paris and Sao Paulo as well as its network of offices in Spain and Portugal.

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