Practice Areas

China Practice

The principal focus of O’Connell & Co’s widely recognised China Practice is assisting US companies with regard to their direct investment activities in the People’s Republic of China, including the Hong Kong SAR. In this regard, we have structured and obtained Chinese government approvals for a number of joint ventures and wholly foreign-owned enterprises (“WFOE’s”) on behalf of US companies, and have assisted in the acquisition of equity in and restructuring of existing Chinese companies. We are experienced in legal due diligence procedures in connection with such undertakings, and highly skilled in the Chinese negotiation process.

Mindful of overseas companies’ unique concerns as they enter and participate in the China market, the Firm has developed significant expertise in technology licensing, transfer and protection. In addition, we possess singular abilities in all aspects of venture capital finance transactions.

The Firm recently concluded an engagement as purchaser’s counsel in a transaction that resulted in the acquisition of a substantial minority interest in a Mainland Chinese automotive manufacturer by a US-German joint venture.

We are presently working with one publicly-held US company in the restructuring and expansion of its Chinese joint venture interests and a second with regard to the establishment of a three-way US-PRC business alliance and a complex related licensing, manufacturing and technical support arrangement. We have advised a US multi-national in connection with its acquisition of equity in two existing Chinese joint ventures, and are counsel to two other American companies, each an industry leader, as they enter China for the first time.

We maintain a unique alliance with the prominent Chinese firm of Concord & Co, and work closely with our colleagues in Beijing and Shanghai, especially in the areas of due diligence, Chinese government relations and approval procedures and the seamless preparation and/or translation of parallel Chinese and English legal documents.

US Practice

With offices in Washington, D.C. and Annapolis, Maryland, the Firm maintains a domestic US practice, principally in the areas of business and general corporate law, complex M&A and other types of commercial transactions, securities and corporate finance (with special expertise in the representation of promising start-up enterprises and in all aspects of venture capital finance) and, to a lesser degree, commercial real estate and real estate finance.

Though the majority of the Firm’s American clients are located in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area, we also serve companies located in California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Texas.

In addition, our Washington and Annapolis offices assist our overseas clients with regard to their “in-bound” matters in the US. We serve as principal US counsel to two UK companies’ wholly-owned US subsidiaries, providing all requisite corporate legal services to these organisations.

Lastly, both the Washington and Annapolis offices are focal points for the representation of US client companies’ “out-bound” activities. In addition to the Firm’s primary practice in East Asia, we provide legal support to clients in connection with European, Caribbean and Middle Eastern matters.

SME Practice

With the addition of its Annapolis office, O’Connell & Co continues to expand its representation of on-going businesses as well as promising start-up enterprises in the Baltimore-Washington region, and is pleased to make its business and general corporate law, commercial transactions, securities and corporate finance capabilities available to small-and-medium-sized enterprises (“SME’s”) throughout the area.

The Firm has had extensive experience working with and assisting new, as well as expanding, enterprises with their corporate governance and financing activities, including those involving venture capital. Though we are often requested to assist with relatively simple contracts and day-to-day operations matters, we also maintain a significant securities law capability in the US and abroad. In this regard, we possess broad experience in conducting pre-investment due diligence, and in negotiating and structuring venture capital and all other types of corporate finance transactions.

We have represented a number of start-up companies in connection with all phases of financing, from “seed capital” through mezzanine transactions and public and private placements of both debt and equity securities. Our philosophy is to represent these clients over the long-term, as they grow and develop, through M&A activities, subsequent corporate finance transactions, and in their day-to-day business activities.

The Firm has created and represented venture capital funds and entities in connection with their investments in these types of companies.

We have experience in a broad range of industries, including information (hardware and software) technology, biotechnology, telecommunications, real estate, construction, banking and financial services and all types of manufacturing.