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 Michael Munzinger
Counsel

Michael Munzinger, LL.M.

Representative

Languages
  • German
  • English
  • Chinese

Michael joined CMS, China in 2014 and focuses on the corporate, M&A and commercial practice areas. Michael has more than 10 years’ experience in advising foreign companies on corporate law issues in China, in particular on joint ventures, share and asset transfers, restructurings, foreign direct investment, corporate governance, as well as commercial law and related dispute resolution matters.

His extensive track record comprises the establishment of numerous foreign-invested entities, including wholly foreign-owned entities and joint ventures, cross-border and national share and asset transfers, mergers, restructurings and corporate changes, as well as advice, review and drafting of contracts and contract clauses in the commercial law area (e.g. plant contracts, delivery contracts and general terms and conditions, service contracts), advice on product liability, and advice and involvement in dispute resolution (especially arbitration).

Publications

  • “GC Ticker Fall - The New PRC Company Law: Key Changes and Updates on Recent Developments”, by German Chamber, 2024
  • “Distributing Dividends from a Private Company (China)” for Thomson Reuters Practical Law, 2024
  • “Company Books & Records Statutory Requirements (Private Companies) (China)” for Thomson Reuters Practical Law, 2024
  • “Industry-specific regulatory systems in China: overview” for Thomson Reuters Practical Law, 2020 - 2024
  • “Joint Ventures: Control and Minority Protection (China)” for Thomson Reuters Practical Law, 2019 - 2024
  • “Joint Ventures: Deadlock and Termination (China)” for Thomson Reuters Practical Law, 2019 - 2024
  • “Documents to establish a joint venture in China” for Thomson Reuters Practical Law, 2022 - 2024
  • “Chinese Civil Code: Impact on Tort Liability” for Thomson Reuters Practical Law, 2020 - 2024
  • “Chinese Civil Code: Impact on Contracts” for Thomson Reuters Practical Law, 2020 - 2024
  • “Quick Compare Tables Company Book Records -Statutory Requirements” for Thomson Reuters Practical Law, 2023
  • “How to Distribute Funds from a Private Company in the PRC by Way of Dividends” for Thomson Reuters Practical Law, 2023
  • “Conducting a Board Meeting in the PRC” for Thomson Reuters Practical Law, 2023 - 2024
  • “Company Records and Registers in the PRC” for Thomson Reuters Practical Law, 2023 - 2024
  • “100 Questions: Neuerungen für Joint Ventures: Einführung des PRC Foreign Investment Law” for ChinaContact, 2022
  • “Force Majeure, Contract, and Employment Law” for German Chamber, 2022
  • “Shareholders' agreement and bye-laws Q&A: China” for Thomson Reuters Practical Law, 2019 - 2021
  • “Overview on the Implementing Regulations of the Foreign Investment Law of the People's Republic of China and Supporting Documents”, German Chamber Ticker, Spring Issue, 2020
  • “Questions & Answers on Force Majeure, Contract, and Employment Law”, German Chamber, 2020
  • “Does the Coronavirus Outbreak constitute Force Majeure?” for Thomson Reuters Practical Law, 2020
  • “The New PRC E-Commerce Law - A new Era for Operators and Consumers”, German Chamber Ticker, Winter Issue 2018
  • “Cross-border R&D Cooperation in the PRC”, German Chamber Ticker, Summer Issue 2018
  • “China amends Regulations on Environmental Protection of Construction and Production Projects”, German Chamber Ticker, Winter Issue, 2018, p. 32 - 34
  • “Recent Developments in the PRC Foreign Investment Regime”, German Chamber Ticker, Winter Issue, 2017, p. 30 - 32
  • “Know Your Rights - China Introduces New General Rules of Civil Law”, German Chamber Ticker, June - July 2017, p. 30 - 32
  • “Mindestanforderungen an das Stammkapital weiter reduziert”, China Contact, March 2016, p. 35 - 36
  • “Neuerungen im chinesischen Produkthaftungs- und Lebensmittelrecht, Reaktion des chinesischen Gesetzgebers auf nicht abreißende Lebensmitteskandale”, Recht der internationalen Wirtschaft (RIW) 2015 (Heft 12), p. 790 - 798

Lectures list

  • Corporate Governance & Employee Representative: What are the changes brought by the new PRC Company Law, by CNBW, December 2024
  • Corporate Governance & Employee Representative: What are the changes brought by the new PRC Company Law, by European Chamber, November 2024, Shanghai
  • Key note speech on Updates on Corporate Governance and Employee Representative: What Companies Need to Do, by BritCham, September 2024, Shanghai
  • Updates on Corporate Governance and Employee Representative: What Companies Need to Do, by BritCham, September 2024, Shanghai
  • Updates on Corporate Governance and Employee Representative: What Companies Need to Do, by German Chamber, July 2024, Shanghai
  • What to Watch for in the Updated Company Law, CxO Lunch held by the Economist, March 2024, Shanghai
  • Legal and Liability Issues Caused by the recent Lockdown, webinar held by Austrian Consulate General - Commercial Section, June 2022, Shanghai
  • Legal, tax and customs aspects on E-commerce in the PRC, webinar held by Deutsche Auslandshandelskammer (AHK) Greater China together with the Industrie- und Handelskammer (IHK) of Rheinhessen and the China-Kompetenzzentren der IHK Pfalz and the IHK Frankfurt, May 2022, Shanghai
  • Legal and Liability Issues Caused by the recent Lockdown – What to Know and What to Do, by German Chamber, April 2022, Shanghai
  • What the PRC Civil Code Means for Doing Business in China, interview by China Law & Practice, July 2020, Shanghai
  • Introduction on Legal and Liability Issues Caused by the COVID-19 Outbreak – What to Know and What to Do, webinar held by German Chamber of Commerce, March 2020, Shanghai
  • Introduction on COVID-19 Impact on Contract and Operations, webinar held by German Chamber of Commerce, February 2020, Shanghai
  • E-Commerce in China – Rechtliche und steuerliche Aspekte, webinar held by IHK Mittlerer Niederrhein, December 2019, Shanghai
  • Introduction to PRC Law, especially the PRC Contract Law, International students from the Management Center Innsbruck (MCI), May 2019, Shanghai  
  • Introduction to the PRC Contract Law, Students from University of Vienna Law School, April 2019, Shanghai
  • Attorney Client Privilege, webinar for Honeywell, March 2019, Shanghai
  • Rechtliche Rahmenbedingungen für Geschäftsaktivitäten und ausländische Investitionen in der VR China, Start Alliance Berlin, Berlin Partner for Business and Technology, April 2017, Shanghai
  • Legal Issues for Foreign Companies doing Business in China, CBL International China Business School, August 2015, Shanghai
  • Legal Issues for Foreign Companies doing Business in China, CBL International China Business School, July 2015, Shanghai

Education

  • 2013 - Studies in Mandarin Chinese at Beijing Foreign Studies University 
  • 2012 - LL.M. with distinction from the University of Hong Kong
  • 2010 - Trainee lawyer in Munich and Beijing, second German state examination in law
  • 2008 - First German state examination in law