TransAsia is recognized as a leader in PRC IT & telecom law, and has one of the oldest practices in China dedicated to this highly regulated field. We utilize our extensive expertise and experience in this field to provide practical advice and innovative solutions. In addition, our team stays abreast of the latest legal developments in order to provide a full range of services in this sector.

We represent clients ranging from well-established international telecommunications corporations to start-up entrepreneurs. We also routinely assist large users of communications services with their procurement needs, as well as private equity & venture capital firms, investment banks and other investors in the IT & telecom industry.

Client Services

Business Sectors

We offer services on a variety of business sectors, including portals, CP/SP, ISP, IDC, CDN, search engines, e-commerce, wireless, mobile TV, mobile games, and MVNO.  

Areas of Advice

• Market entry and structuring; establishment of corporate vehicles, partner selection and legal due diligence
• Software and hardware licensing
• Technology transfers
• Commercial contracts and agreements
• Online advertising and marketing
• Privacy issues and electronic placement
• Intellectual property protection (copyright, domain names, trademarks and trade names)
• Regulatory and compliance issues (including censorship)
• Privacy issues and electronic monitoring
• Reviewing and negotiating value-added telecom service contracts

The IT & telecoms team works closely with other relevant practice areas, including the corporate & commercial, intellectual property and M&A groups to offer our clients a full range of legal services.

Representative Transactions

• Represented Alibaba.com in its US$ 1 billion investment by Yahoo!, the largest transaction of its kind in China’s Internet sector to date
• Advised a leading mobile handset manufacturer on its China operations, partnership with mobile carriers and sponsorship of events
• Advised CBSi (formerly CNET) on its acquisition projects in China in the Internet sector
• Advised Microsoft on launching Xbox 360 in China
• Advised Sohu.com on its NASDAQ IPO and on various acquisitions, such as of 17173.com, the largest online games site in China, and Focus.cn, a leading real estate site
• Advised Google on its market entry and the establishment of a Sino-foreign telecoms joint venture and mobile search strategic partnership with China Mobile
• Advised Qunar.com (largest online travel search engine in China) on its seed financing and all of its subsequent venture capital financing rounds
• Advised Walt Disney on its various new media initiatives in China
• Advised Youku.com (leading Chinese video sharing website) on its last two venture capital financing rounds, with a total investment value of US$ 55 million, as well as its US$ 10 million venture debt and leasing facility
• Advised Liberty Global on its broadband joint venture project in China
• Represented Nokia on its investment in China’s Internet services sector
• Assisted Akamai on its market entry and M&A in China’s content delivery network sector
• Advised Adobe on its partnership with China Mobile
• Represented Electronic Arts in its various market entry initiatives in China, and its online and offline gaming operations
• Assisted Glu Mobile on its strategic cooperation with a leading PRC mobile game company, as well as on its game pre-installment cooperation agreement with a major mobile handset manufacturer

Publications

IT and Telecoms

China’s IT Policy and Legislation

In collaboration with the Ministry of Industry & Information (now the MIIT) and key government officials, TransAsia produced three editions of in 1999, 2001 and 2003, three editions of China’s IT Policy and Legislation. The book is the first and only guide to this area of law and thus serves as an authoritative reference guide.

China’s Videogame Industry Regulatory Landscape

In 2007, TransAsia released a report on China’s Videogame Industry Regulatory Landscape. The report details the regulations, policies and processes for launching an online or traditional offline videogame in China and is a critical read for any company eager to enter China's games market.

E-Commerce

2001:    Dr. Isabelle Wan, a senior partner at TransAsia, authored Legal Issues Relating to E-Commerce, published by the China Law Press.

2001:    Dr. Wan also wrote Legal Issues Relating to Digital Signatures (People's Court Press), the first publication written on this subject in China. The book has received a great deal of positive feedback from Chinese government agencies, particularly the Ministry of Public Security.

Representative Clients