Hylands Fuzhou Office Relocation Ceremony and Legal Forum on Distressed Real Estate Successfully Held

The celebration was presided over by Fuzhou office lawyer Jun LIU, who first welcomed the guests who were present at the event. Yao MA, Director of the Fuzhou office expressed his heartfelt thanks to partners from other offices for traveling a long way to be there. Director Yao MA said that Fuzhou office colleagues agree with the concept of ‘no brothers, no partnership’, and adhere to the basic principles of ‘sharing, ownership, co-governance, and co-construction. They always strive to consolidate basic skills, continue to improve brand value and are committed to cooperating with other offices to create a better future for Hylands. 

The ribbon cutting ceremony was attended by Lawyer Hong LIU, director of Hylands, lawyer Qi JIANG, chairman of the National Board of Directors, lawyers Zhitong ZHU and Miao ZHANG, members of the management committee, lawyer Yao MA, director of Fuzhou Office, and lawyer Feng WANG, senior partner of Hylands. Attorney Xin YOU, a member of the Fuzhou office’s Management Committee, and Fengsheng LIN, chairman of the board of supervisors, jointly unveiled the plaque.

Director Hong LIU said that he and the partners of the Fuzhou office went through many ups and downs together and the memory is vivid in his brain. It’s important that everyone agrees with the philosophy of Hylands which lays the foundation for the establishment and development of the Fuzhou office. He sincerely wishes the Fuzhou office a prosperous future.

Lawyer Qi JIANG, chairman of the National Board of Directors, also congratulated the relocation of the Fuzhou office. He noted that the Fuzhou office has excellent office hardware facilities. He suggested that in the future it should follow the example of headquarters to improve its soft power, enhance legal service capabilities, and increase talent reserves, by adhering to the customer-oriented principle, that makes Hylands Law Firm a top law firm in southeast China.

Colleagues in the Fuzhou office said that they were touched by the blessings. Inspired by the slogan of “Hylands Fuzhou, set sail with glory", they will work harder and strive to make Hylands a well-known, professional law firm with a legacy.

At present, under the influence of the new coronavirus pandemic, the global economy is in a decline, and the real estate market is down. Evergrande Group went bankrupt, and off-plan homeowners in Zhengzhou, Henan collectively stopped repaying loans, making domestic real estate companies face a severe challenge. In this context, how to solve the difficulties faced by real estate companies and how to use national policies to rescue real estate have become key work contents for lawyers in the field of construction, bankruptcy, and non-performing assets. The purpose of the forum is to organize discussions on the above issues.

Nearly 200 people attended the Distressed Real Estate Legal Forum held on the afternoon of September 23, 2022, including lawyers from Hylands’ Beijing headquarters, other offices, and industry representatives from all over the country.

Lawyer Yao MA, Director of the Fuzhou Office, Lawyer Qi JIANG, Chairman of Hylands National Board of Directors, and Mr. Junhua ZHANG, Secretary-General of Fujian Construction Industry Association, delivered opening speeches for the forum.

At the forum, experts and scholars from construction engineering, real estate, special asset disposal, funds, bankruptcy, and other fields gave keynote speeches.

Mr. Qi LI, the former judge of the Supreme People's Court and the main drafter of the Construction Engineering Judicial Interpretation II, delivered a keynote speech titled ‘Prevention of Contract Risks in Construction Projects under the Background of the Civil Code’, discussing many scorching legal issues such as contract signing, contract performance, and payment conditions in construction engineering projects. Based on the new provisions of the Civil Code, he put forward suggestions on risk prevention in the process of contract performance. He not only analyzed the legal theory but also proposed suggestions for practices.

Mr. Ya CHEN, a senior consultant of the Shenzhen Office and former judge of the First Circuit Court of the Supreme People's Court, delivered a keynote speech on ‘Protection of the Rights of Buyers in Distressed Real Estate Projects’, explaining the real estate delivery and mortgage loan settlement in distressed real estate construction projects. He comprehensively analyzed the rights of house buyers in the pre-sale commercial housing system and the path to realizing the rights.

Lawyer Yao MA, Director of Fuzhou Office, delivered a keynote speech titled ‘A Preliminary Study on Some Legal Issues in Unfinished Construction Project’, sharing his thoughts on specific legal issues such as the manifestation of unfinished construction projects and the settlement of project funds. He also analyzed the judicial dispute handling rules and explained how the rule operates in practical cases.

Attorney Feng ZHU, Director of the Management Committee of the Shanghai Office, delivered a keynote speech on ‘Analysis of Legal Practices for the Establishment and Operation of Real Estate Relief Funds’. He analyzed the purpose, method, and operation status of the real estate relief fund explained the actual operation process of the real estate relief fund and analyzed the difficulties that may be encountered during the implementation of the real estate relief fund.

Subsequently, the ‘Comprehensive Legal Solution for Distressed Real Estate Relief’ salon meeting was held on the same day. Lawyer Feng WANG, Senior Partner of the Fuzhou Office presided over the salon. Mr. Hengzhu ZHANG, a professor at the International Finance Law School of East China University of Political Science and Law, Mr. Han, General Manager of the Legal Compliance Department of Asset Management Co., Ltd., Mr. Ge WU, Executive Partner of Defu Assets, and Hao Tian Lawyer Xiao HAN, Director of the Management Committee of Tianwenzhou Office, expressed their views on the theoretical and practical issues existing in the distressed real estate relief. They discussed the current situation of the real estate industry, the implementation of relevant provisions of the Civil Code, the relief measures taken by asset management companies, and issues arising in the application of the bankruptcy system.

On September 23, 2022, Hylands’ Fuzhou office was officially launched setting a beginning for the firm to embark on a new track. Colleagues in the Fuzhou Office believe that success depends on harmony, professionalism, and hard work. They will stick to the client-centered principle by being down-to-earth, and determined to transform Fuzhou Office into a top law firm in the southeast region.