The labour and employment department at AnJie Broad Law Firm comprises experts in labour disputes, human resources-related documentation, and M&A, reorganisation and liquidation-related terminations. Other key areas are union issues, trade secret protection, non-compete schemes and compliance, along with equity incentive plans, anti-corruption, investigations, and workplace-related personal information protection and privacy. Zhenghe Liu is ‘very familiar with China’s labour laws, trade union legislation and related judicial practices’; Jun Shen handles large-scale employment projects involving employee groups; Lin Sun assists with complex HR management issues; and Yana Cui routinely acts in high-stakes disputes. The second line of experienced practitioners features employment and social specialist Xiaochen He (promoted to partner in March 2024), along with employment law practitioners Siyin Chen and Ming Li.

Fangda Partners ‘provides a one-stop service for clients' labour law needs’. The practice encompasses day-to-day human resources management, along with the employment side to major commercial deals and corporate activities. Other key areas are HR policies, regulations and operational procedures; internal investigations into employees’ fraud, corruption and other misconduct; labour disputes; layoffs; and mobility and immigration issues. In Shanghai, Bo Zhou's track record includes acting in labour disputes over employment contract terminations, stock-based incentives, breaches of non-compete covenants, and bonus and sales commissions; Beijing-based labour and employment law expert Lisa Zhao is ‘always able to provide pragmatic solutions’; and Yi Su in Guangzhou acts for Fortune Global 500 companies, state-owned enterprises, foreign businesses’ representative offices, and private venture start-ups.

‘Excellent at providing pragmatic solutions’, King & Wood Mallesons‘ wide-ranging employment practice has significant experience in regulatory compliance work, along with structuring tailored internal employment policies for clients. It is also sought out for major labour and employment litigation and arbitration matters. The team is headed up by Linda Liang, a longstanding adviser to Chinese and multinational clients from the IT, energy and pharmaceutical sectors. Liang has an enviable track record in labour-related litigation and arbitration, including in relation to large-scale layoffs and the termination of highly-paid employees’ contracts. Notable support is provided by labour and employment law specialists Lucy Lu, Ting Liu and Wu Ding, as well as Li Xin, whose experience includes drafting internal employment rules and regulations.

Zhong Lun Law Firm's labour and employment group is notably focused on the litigation and arbitration of labour disputes. On the non-contentious front, the practice covers foreign-invested businesses’ employment matters in China, the employment of foreign employees in China, and other cross-border and cross-jurisdictional issues. Haiyan Duan is an employment, social security and trade union law specialist; Yeping (Carol) Zhu is ‘able to find solutions for clients’; Anderson Zhang is an expert in employment law and human resource management; and April Yan predominantly acts for multinational companies and investment funds. The department additionally includes Jie Zha, who assists employers with personnel management matters and employee-related labour disputes. Other names to note are Ying Zhao and Sophie Li.

DeHeng Law Offices' labour and social security practice is experienced in day-to-day matters, human resources management, and the labour aspects of corporate bankruptcies, M&A and restructuring. The practice is co-led by Beijing-based Jianping Wang, an expert in labour, company, contract and foreign investment laws; and Wenwei Su, whose expertise covers compliance, risk control management, employee resettlements and labour law disputes. The department further includes Wei Shen, who is both the labour and social security law practice committee director in Shenzhen and an arbitrator of the Labour and Personnel Dispute Arbitration Commission; and Lei Guo in Zhuhai, an ‘expert in human resources compliance management and employee relations’. The next line of experienced practitioners includes Beijing’s Mingming Cui and Jie Cui.

Able to access the enviable global network of international law firm Baker McKenzie through its joint operation office, FenXun Partners ‘provides outstanding advice that is tailored to clients’ business’. The practice’s broad coverage encompasses employment policies and documents, employee investigations, mass terminations and day-to-day advice, as well as pensions, benefits, compensation, and immigration programmes. It is also routinely mandated to act in complex litigation. The group is co-led by Zheng Lu, who regularly leads large-scale and high-stakes employment matters; and former labour arbitrator Bofu An, who ‘does a great job of managing employment matters’. Other key figures are Joseph Yue, an adviser on transaction-related employment issues; labour-related arbitration and litigation specialist Sufi Shang; and experienced labour law practitioner Ting Zhang.

Acting for major domestic and international clients, Global Law Office's labour and employment department is well known for handling complex labour and employment issues in China, including early-stage compliance issues, mass-layoffs, transfers and litigation. The team also assists with establishing labour management systems, collective bargaining, and employees’ secondments and placements. The group is co-led by labour disputes specialist Weiwei Gu , who additionally co-chairs the firm’s regulatory compliance and risk control team; and the ‘particularly outstanding’ Zhaogang Wang. The practice further showcases Shujun Liu, whose broad workload covers labour and employment matters; Angela Sui, an expert in labour and employment issues, as well as dispute resolution; and Cao Sisi, who is experienced in labour, employment and contractual disputes.

With ‘great experience and knowledge across China’s employment landscape’, JunHe‘s 15-strong team specialises in the negotiation, litigation and arbitration of labour matters, as well as collective bargaining involving trade unions and employee representatives. The team also assists with drafting and reviewing employment contracts, along with non-compete and confidentiality agreements. Jianjun Ma handles labour-related disputes, litigation and arbitration; Hongjuan Bai's labour and employment practice covers both recruitment and terminations; and Gordon (Minghao) Feng ‘gives pragmatic advice’. Other names to note are longstanding PRC labour and employment specialist Dongpeng Wang; Yimu Bu, an adviser to multinational companies on collective negotiations, industrial actions and union matters; and Wan Zhang, who assists with labour disputes, compliance investigations, crisis management and mass lay-offs.

‘A leading specialist employment team with a very high profile in China’, River Delta Law Firm is consistently mandated to act in major labour law disputes. Among the firm’s several experienced practitioners, Jason Lu advises  multinational corporations, foreign-funded businesses, state-owned enterprises and private entities on human resources and labour and employment matters; litigation specialist Cathy Qu is ‘very knowledgeable and commercial in her approach’; and Lu Liu is an expert in labour law, human resources, dispute resolution, compliance, anti-corruption, and data and personal information protection. The practice also includes Zhe Yang, whose track record includes numerous employee resettlement and transfer projects, as well as assisting a state-owned bank with drafting a set of employment regulations and documents.

Fielding dispute resolution, regulatory and transactional specialists, DaHui Lawyers' practice encompasses terminations, disputes, employee stock ownership plans, cross-border labour issues, employment-related taxation, and updates to contracts and employee handbooks. The practice’s principal figures are Xing Wan, whose broad expertise includes employment work; Edward Lu, an expert in complex labour and employment cases; and Cloud Li, who advises European and North American multinational corporations, Chinese state-owned enterprises and private companies on employment issues. Zhengwei Yang is also a key contact.

Dacheng routinely assists with establishing employment and labour management systems. The team also assists with labour contracts, labour law disputes, and the labour aspects of business reorganisations and liquidations. Dianxu Jiang in Guangzhou is a labour and employment law specialist; and in Shanghai, Shane Luo works across the manufacturing, finance, IT and retail sectors, while Grace Young is an expert in human resources compliance and labour-related dispute resolution. Jie Zhang and Karen Xu are also experienced practitioners.

A ‘go-to choice for leading multinational corporations worldwide’, Han Kun Law Offices advises internet, healthcare, pharmaceutical, private equity, venture capital and asset management clients, along with Chinese start-ups, on labour matters. The practice, which also handles labour disputes, is led by Will Huang, whose workload covers employment disputes, particularly in relation to terminations, non-compete matters, trade secrets, layoffs, compliance investigations, and wage and stock incentive plans. The group also features labour law expert Xiu Pei and employment litigator Lifeng Lu.

HHP Attorneys-At-Law ‘consistently delivers exceptional results’. The labour and employment department assists corporate clients with day-to-day human resources matters, compliance issues, and labour-related dispute resolution. The practice is headed up by Shanghai-based labour and employment specialist Yao Rao, who ‘stands out as a remarkable leader and strategic thinker.’ Rao’s practice focuses on highly regulated industries, such as the medical devices, institutions and packaging sectors, as well as nutritional food and mining. Providing notable support are Shihao Xiao and Jialing Liu.

Hui Ye Law Firm's ‘well-known labour law experts’ have notable expertise in the manufacturing, medical, finance, real estate, internet, logistics, and fast-moving consumer goods sectors. In addition to labour disputes, the team increasingly advises on employee tax compliance, and the employment side to M&A, restructuring and liquidations. It also assists with company redundancies at national levels. Kaichang Zhou, Guibin Hong and Yunhua Cai co-lead the team, which additionally features labour law and dispute resolution expert Xuemei Hu.

Home to ‘a professional team of labour lawyers with superb business skills’, Jincheng Tongda & Neal's practice covers the legal side to human resources, as well as the arbitration and litigation of labour disputes. Feng Liang acts for clients from the steel, coal, transportation, energy, manufacturing, agriculture and tourism industries; and corporate compliance and labour law expert Chunyun Pang is also a senior labour dispute arbitrator. Providing support, Dechang Wang specialises in litigation, arbitration, compliance and government regulation.

In addition to providing day-to-day labour law advice, Jingtian & Gongcheng fields experts in employee incentives, employee-related fraud investigations, litigation, labour relations, equity negotiations, trade secret protection, and compliance issues (among others). Xin Yu is ‘very experienced in human resources-related legal services’; Xiao Zhao routinely acts for central state-owned enterprises, as well as technology clients; and Minquan Shen assists with recruitment and employment management, along with outsourcing plans, employment policies, global employee compensation plans, layoffs, and labour disputes.

Llinks Law Offices' labour lawyers have significant experience in compliance, the prevention of labour disputes, and labour-related litigation (including through arbitration). Recent mandates also include restructuring and employee retrenchment projects. In Shanghai, Patrick Gu assists Fortune 500 and state-owned clients with labour arbitrations and litigation, as well as employee transfers. Gu also advises on employee integration issues concerning organisational restructurings, divestitures, spin-offs, and M&A, along with the labour law aspects  of overseas investment projects.

Acting for corporate clients throughout China, PW & Partners’ Guangzhou-based labour law practice ranges from the implementation of mass layoff strategies, to the resolution of labour disputes (including through arbitration). The team also advises on day-to-day issues. James Peng has longstanding labour law expertise; Sam Chen‘s experience includes economic contracts and labour management issues for Fortune 500 companies; and Ozzie Ou routinely acts for multinational corporations on domestic labour law issues. Huiqin Lv and Ann Xie are other experienced team members.

Focused exclusively on advising multinational companies (and their subsidiaries) on Chinese labour law matters. R&P China Lawyers' employment practice is ‘very good at explaining Chinese law and practice to international clients’. The Shanghai-based group comprises Robin Tabbers, an adviser on compliance investigations, employee fraud and terminations; Maarten Roos , who is ‘very skilled in employment matters’; and Eric Yuan, whose track record includes over 100 labour disputes. Also key to the team, Rogier Van Bijnen's wide-ranging practice covers employ­ment law.

Yingke Law Firm has ‘accumulated a lot of practical experience in labour disputes’. Labour disputes specialist Yuan Chen leads the firm’s human resources practice; labour litigator Hongsheng Ma is director of the labour law group; and Xingguo Huang heads up the human resources and labour legal affairs department in Beijing. Huang’s experience covers corporate labour disputes, mass layoffs and employment compliance; while Hong Gao is an expert in severance negotiations and labour disputes.