Mintz Levin, King &Wood PRC and AMM Consulting Host Webinar on Establishing or Expanding Retail Operations in China
9/9/2011
New York, NY – Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C., along with King and Wood PRC and AMM Consulting are hosting a webinar entitled “Retail Operations in China: Capturing the Opportunity and Managing the Risk.” The webinar is being held September 19 from 1:00 to 2:00 pm EST.
With the retail market in China expected to continue to grow at just under 20% annually, manufacturers of consumer products and established retail stores in the United States and Europe are focusing on geographic expansion plans to capitalize on this opportunity. This seminar will address some of the pitfalls and hurdles to entering the Chinese market, including:
• What are the licensing issues that retailers face?
• Why are many retailers choosing direct distribution?
• What are the operations hurdles that companies face when building out their infrastructure in China?
• Are there specific logistical issues that need to be considered?
• What are the regulatory hurdles tied to setting up operations in China?
• With the expanding potential for whistleblower rewards and government enforcement at a record high, what are companies doing to manage Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and other international regulatory concerns?
• If regulatory problems do arise, what can you do to minimize exposure?
Featured panelists for the webinar include:
Paul Pelletier
Mr. Pelletier, a Member of Mintz Levin’s Litigation Practice, recently joined the firm from the Department of Justice (DOJ) where he served as the principal deputy chief of the DOJ Criminal Division's Fraud Section and supervised its FCPA Unit. During his tenure the Fraud Section saw a dramatic increase in the number of corporate and individual prosecutions as well as a more than ten-fold increase in the assessment of FCPA fines and penalties. Mr. Pelletier has more than 25 years of experience as a federal prosecutor, and has unique insight into the effect FCPA whistleblowers can have on prosecutions, ways in which companies can potentially lessen the negative impacts of whistleblowers, and strategies for working with prosecutors to reduce the negative and far-reaching consequences of a whistleblower’s report to the US government.
Jonathan Pan
Mr. Pan, a Partner with King and Wood PRC, one of most respected law firms in China, specializes in foreign direct investment, M&A, project finance, and private equity investment. He has advised foreign investment projects in major sectors, including retail, power, waste energy, transportation, media, advertising, and manufacturing. He advises clients on commercial and investment laws, including establishing and acquiring equity in joint ventures and wholly foreign-owned enterprises and their branch offices. In addition, Mr. Pan advises clients on technology licensing, finance, labor law, product liability, sales, and distribution. He advised various luxury brand retailers and other retailers in their establishment of wholly foreign-owned enterprises, opening of stores, and related matters in their operation and development in China, including but not limited to advising Coach in its acquisition of the Coach domestic retail businesses in China from Hong Kong-based distribution company ImagineX Group, which includes all 15 stores in the Chinese mainland, and advising an American luxury brand retailer on its establishment of wholly foreign-owned enterprise and operations in China.
Ashvin Mehta
Ashvin is a highly accomplished, results-driven operations, IT, and supply chain executive with diversified management and leadership experience in managing and integrating systems, processes, and operations in a global operations environment encompassing Asia, Europe, Canada, and Latin America. His experience includes working as VP of International Operations and interim COO for Coach China, where he was responsible for managing all of the activities related to transitioning from a distributor relationship to a Coach-owned business that is currently in a rapid growth curve. While working with Coach China, Ashvin served as interim COO to manage the operational strategy at time of start-up. Prior to his experience with Coach China, Ashvin was the VP of Logistics and VP of International Operations for Timberland Co., where he was responsible for supply/demand planning, inventory management, customer support, and logistics for multiple international business units (including Europe, Asia, South America, and Canada). Ashvin currently is working as an independent consultant assisting companies in China such as Glamour Sales, Nurun and 9Kings with their operational challenges.
Stephen Curley, Moderator
Mr. Curley, a Member of Mintz Levin’s Corporate and Health Law Practices, has advised US and foreign companies for more than 30 years on transactional matters, including corporate mergers and acquisitions, debt and equity financings, infrastructure projects, and related tax issues. A significant part of his practice has involved advising clients on matters related to international investment and transactional matters. This includes extensive experience working with Chinese clients, and advising international clients regarding their investments and operations in China.
For more information or to register for the webinar, click here.
