While leading red circle Chinese law firm Lehman, Lee & Xu is known for its booming intellectual property and private equity practices, the firm, managed by Chicago native Edward Lehman, is making a name for itself in the field of legal education. “I can’t stress how important the development of China’s legal education system is”, relays Lehman, a China resident for 23 years.
“The legal system here is young compared with more established systems in other jurisdictions. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity to develop a modern and responsive legal system which embraces Chinese values”.
It is this passion which led Lehman to build cooperative relationships with a number of leading educational institutions in China, the United States and elsewhere. “Its importance cannot be overstated. The development of a responsive legal system is crucial to so many aspects of society. For a legal system in place for thirty years China has achieved tremendous results”.
One example of such agreement is the relationship between Lehman, Lee & Xu and Renmin University, known colloquially as renda. “We take interns from Renda, provide lecturers for some of their summer programs and their professors work with our law form as of counsel. “Its been a tremendous success. Renda law students have heard our people speak on a number of occasions. We speak about the practical aspects of our work primarily and many are interested. Indeed we have gone on to employ a number of Renda graduates”, states Lehman. It is not a one way street though, Renda professors have on many occasions provided assistance to the firm’s attorneys. “You literally have some of the best legal minds in China. We are lucky to enough to be able to call upon them for assistance with expert testimony. Their help has been invaluable”.
In addition to cooperating with educational institutions the firm also has a thriving educational consultancy practice. “The education sector is booming in China” states Lehman. “With the economic downturn many are turning to education and the demand for educational consultancy and legal advice has skyrocketed”
Education though has traditionally been a restricted area of foreign investment in China and the field is still not fully open to foreign investment. “This is what leads to partnership program such as the Renmin University/University of Minnesota summer law program or the London School of Economics/Fudan university global media program” says Lehman. Furthermore there is huge investment in preschool and high school education, both of which are outside of the compulsory Chinese national curriculum. “If a student intends to study overseas he may attend an international school with a curriculum such as the International Baccalaureate. This is becoming more and more of a popular option.
Lehman though is keen to stress that while he counts a number of international institutions as clients, the firm also assists education projects on a pro bono basis. “We’ve helped set up a number of schools in Western China. These are schools where donors in developed countries came to us with ideas for how to help out some of China’s poorest regions. There is no doubt that playing a role in making their dreams a reality and there is no doubt that that is the most satisfying work of all”.
