SHANGHAI, China (1 Feb. 2008) — Faegre & Benson LLP is pleased to announce that John V. Grobowski has joined the firm as managing partner of its Shanghai office and co-chair of its 15-member China practice. Grobowski joins a legal team that has enjoyed tremendous growth since the opening of Faegre & Benson’s Shanghai office in 2001. The firm’s China practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, other foreign direct investment matters, dispute resolution and intellectual property transactions.
“We are adding strength to strength,” said Thomas G. Morgan, chair of the firm’s management committee. “John will contribute a wealth of experience and senior leadership to us in Shanghai at a time when we are poised for additional growth in this very important market.”
Grobowski brings to Faegre & Benson more than 20 years of experience in the China business environment. He will co-chair the firm’s China practice with George D. Martin, who founded the practice in 1999, and now divides his time between the Faegre & Benson offices in Minneapolis and Shanghai. “We have built a very client-centric and collaborative group of professionals in Shanghai,” said Martin. “John’s a great fit with our existing team and client base. He brings a valuable skill set and outside perspective at exactly the right time.”
Grobowski joins Faegre & Benson from Baker & McKenzie, where he practiced law for 17 years and served as co-managing partner of its Shanghai office. “Joining Faegre & Benson presents an exciting opportunity for me,” Grobowski said. “The spirit of entrepreneurship and the firm’s commitment to China are very appealing. This firm has achieved a lot in China already and I look forward to working with George and my other new colleagues to enlarge Faegre & Benson’s footprint and the scope of its practice in China.”
Faegre & Benson’s China practice advises U.S., European and Asian clients on cross-border business transactions and dispute resolution matters throughout the Greater China region. Grobowski’s practice focuses on advising multinational corporations in the establishment, acquisition and operation of manufacturing companies and service providers throughout China.
Grobowski is currently a governor and the secretary of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai. He has served on advisory panels for government agencies in the People’s Republic of China regarding competition law legislation and venture capital law reforms. He is a frequent speaker and writer on numerous aspects of business law in China, and he is fluent in Mandarin.