Taylor Wessing is set to launch an office in Beijing, having been granted a license to practise in the city earlier this month.

Munich-based investments partner Christoph Hezel will relocate to Beijing to manage the office. Initially, the office will be staffed by three Chinese associates, with one UK-based and three Germany-based associates (one of which is a senior associate) to be added later in the year.

Hezel's practice focus is on foreign direct investment into China, including banking, finance, tax, M&A and general corporate.

As previously reported by Legal Week, the office will be directed by Munich-based corporate partner Florian Ranft, the head of the firm's China desk. He will continue to travel between China and Germany.

The new office will focus on inbound and outbound foreign direct investment, M&A, private equity, restructuring, banking and finance and real estate.

Beijing will be the second base in China for Taylor Wessing, which has operated in Shanghai since 1996. The Shanghai office has one partner and around 12 fee earners. Ranft told Legal Week he expects the new office to have grown to a similar size as Shanghai within two years.

"Since we have already had the Shanghai office for a long time, it is not as if we are beginning. We already have clients, which have demanded our presence in Beijing," he added.

Taylor Wessing's China desk comprises of 38 lawyers in China, the UK and Germany.

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