Law practice and specifics of providing legal services by foreigners in China

Purpose: To study the peculiarities of organization of legal practice in China and opportunities for foreigners to indicate legal services in the PRC. Methodology: The author used system-structural, national specific, socio-legal and comparative legal methods. Results: China has thoroughly developed legislation regulating legal and advocacy activities and includes several groups of lawyers. Foreign citizens are banned from practicing law in China; foreign law firms have very limited rights, cannot hire Chinese lawyers, and cannot represent foreign companies in court disputes. Novelty/originality/value: This is one of the first studies based on Chinese sources on the characteristics of foreign law firms in China and the ways in which foreign lawyers participate in legal disputes in China.