最高人民法院《关于审理买卖合同纠纷案件适用法律问题的解释》（“《解释》”）于2012年6月5日公布，并于2012年7月1日起施行。《解释》分为八个部分四十六条，分别针对买卖合同的成立及效力、标的物交付和所有权转移、标的物风险负担、标的物检验、违约责任、所有权保留、特种买卖等问题作出了明确规定。《解释》不仅澄清了司法实践中诸多困惑问题，还弥补了《合同法》的部分空白和漏洞，对司法实践具有重要意义。本文现就《解释》的重点内容简要作如下介绍。
一、承认预约合同的独立契约效力
合同缔结过程中，当事人签订认购书、意向书等，约定在将来一定期限内签订正式合同，在买卖合同领域，尤其是商品房买卖领域非常普遍。理论上，此类认购书、意向书为“预约”，系相对于正式合同，即“本约”而言的。 Continue Reading 解读《关于审理买卖合同纠纷案件适用法律问题的解释》
1、根据中国法律，认定合同无效的标准是什么？
根据《合同法》（1999年）第52条，如果合同存在如下五种情形之一，将被认定为无效：（一）一方以欺诈、胁迫的手段订立合同，损害国家利益；（二）恶意串通，损害国家、集体或者第三人利益；（三）以合法形式掩盖非法目的；（四）损害社会公共利益；（五）违反法律、行政法规的强制性规定。
在司法实践中运用上述规定需要注意：
第一，根据最高人民法院《关于适用〈中华人民共和国合同法〉若干问题的解释（二）》（法释〔2009〕5号）第十四条，“合同法第五十二条第（五）项规定的‘强制性规定’，是指效力性强制性规定。” Continue Reading 外商投资企业的合同效力和审批中的常见问题解答—-跨国公司在华诉讼系列（IV）
By Monique Carroll, Huang Tao King & Wood Mallesons’ Dispute Resolution Group
‘Political risk’ in foreign investment is the risk that an investment will be adversely affected by a host country’s political or regulatory decisions. These political or regulatory decisions might result in unfavorable tax legislation, revocation of a business license or, nationalization or ‘expropriation’ of an investment by, for example, the direct or indirect taking of control over the investment by the government. For instance, earlier this year the Argentinean Government announced that it would assume ownership and control of YPF, Argentina’s biggest energy company. At the time, YPF was privately and partly foreign owned and controlled.
Foreign investors can take steps to minimize exposure to political risk. These steps include structuring the foreign investment so that it falls within the protections provided by an investment treaty to which the host country is a party. Continue Reading Arbitration as A Tool to Manage Political Risk in Foreign Investment
作者：Monique Carroll 黄滔 金杜律师事务所争议解决组
外商投资中的政策风险是指东道国的政策或日常决策可能会对投资产生不利影响的风险。这些政策或日常决策可能会导致不利的税收制度，企业营业执照被撤销，投资的国有化或“征收”，例如，政府直接或间接地控制外商投资。比如，今年初，阿根廷政府宣布其将取得阿根廷最大的能源公司YPF公司的所有权和控制权。当时，YPF公司是部分由外商个人所有和控制的。
外国投资者可以采取措施降低政策风险。这些措施包括调整投资结构，使其属于东道国作为缔约国的投资条约的保护范围。对于已经遭受东道国政府行为不利影响的外国投资者，则应当考虑是否可以寻求投资条约的保护。 Continue Reading 仲裁–控制外商投资中政策风险的工具
By Chen Changhui and Jiang Zhipei King & Wood Mallesons’ IP Legal Group
For decades, more and more Chinese overseas students and experienced employees in foreign enterprises have been flocking to domestic enterprises. In some cases, these employees have successfully developed products, that had been monopolized by enterprises in western countries in the name of trade secrets. Thus, Chinese enterprises are highly vulnerable to allegations by transnational enterprises of trade secret infringement. For Chinese enterprises, how to avoid falling into the pitfall of trade secret infringement and relevant legal risks, is the more immediate issue.
A trade secret falls within the protective scope of intellectual property (“IP”) laws. It refers to technical or business information which is not generally known to the public, but which has utility and can bring economic benefits to the right holder; the right holder must also have taken security measures to keep the information secret. Continue Reading Coping Mechanisms for Trade Secret Infringement in Outbound Investment
近十年来，越来越多留学人员和外企职员涌向国内企业，并且凭借在外企积累的丰富经验成功开发出原被西方公司作为商业秘密加以垄断的产品。此时，一些跨国公司很容易将相关中国企业看成侵犯商业秘密的嫌犯；而这些国内企业如何防止落入侵犯商业秘密的陷阱和避开商业秘密的法律风险，更加突出地提到我们的面前。
商业秘密是一种不为公众所知悉并难以获得、能为权利人带来经济利益、具有实用性并经权利人采取保密措施的技术信息或者商业信息，属于知识产权法保护的范围。商业秘密最大特点是其边界模糊性，即使是一个清晰配方或图纸，也往往是商业秘密和公知技术的混杂体。因此，商业秘密纠纷往往案情复杂，程序繁琐，判断困难，主观性强。 Continue Reading 走出去企业如何避免和应对商业秘密纠纷
By Susan Ning and Hazel Yin
August 1, 2012 marks the fourth anniversary of China’s Anti-Monopoly Law (“AML”). 1 With only 57 articles, the AML introduces a series of new regimes governing not only transactions but also day-to-day operations of domestic and foreign companies. This article presents an overview of how the AML has been implemented so far, with particular focus on the latest development, and where it may go in the near future.
Merger Control
The Ministry of Commerce (“MOFCOM”) is responsible for reviewing concentration of undertakings that trigger a certain turnover thresholds. Continue Reading China’s Anti-Monopoly Law: Retrospect and Prospect on the Fourth Anniversary
作者：宁宣凤 尹冉冉 金杜律师事务所反垄断组
至2012年8月1日，《中华人民共和国反垄断法》（以下简称《反垄断法》）实施已满四年。1虽然仅有57条，但《反垄断法》确立了一系列崭新的制度，其适用对象不仅包括国内公司，也包括境外企业，适用范围不仅涵盖公司的日常运营，也包括公司间的交易行为。本文简要回顾《反垄断法》四年的实施情况，并对其实施趋势予以展望。
一、合并控制
经营者集中在达到一定营业额标准后，需提交商务部进行经营者集中的反垄断审查。自2008年8月1 日以来，商务部累计审查逾450起交易，其中95%以上的交易获得无条件批准。截至2012年8月1日，商务部已附条件批准14起交易，禁止1起（可口可乐收购汇源）。
By Zhang Yi, Alan Du and Hu Xia King & Wood Mallesons’ Securities Group Shanghai Office
In the April, 2012, it was reported by various media sources that the National Development Reform Commission (NDRC) had issued certain policies requiring that an RMB fund (the “FIE GP Fund”) with a foreign invested enterprise (FIE) acting as the general partner (the “FIE GP“) and domestic investors (exclusive of FIEs established in China) acting as limited partners be regarded as a foreign investor. Being defined as a foreign investor means that the portfolio investments of such a FIE GP Fund shall be subject to foreign investment approvals, which are read by the public as referring to approvals from the Ministry of Commerce or its local counterparts(MOFCOM). Continue Reading NDRC Reply on RMB Fund with FIE GP
根据2012年4月多家媒体的报道，国家发展和改革委员会（“发改委”）出台了相关政策，将人民币基金中，普通合伙人（GP）是外商投资企业（“FIE GP”），有限合伙人（LP）是境内投资者（不含在中国境内设立的外商投资企业）的人民币基金（“FIE GP 基金”）认定为外国投资者，这就意味着FIE GP基金进行项目投资时，应完成外商投资审批程序，从外界看来，应该是指取得商务部或地方商务部门（“商务部门”）的审批。
鉴于国际私募股权投资（PE）机构在设计其境内人民币基金架构时通常是采用FIE GP基金的形式，上述消息引起了极大的关注。如果外资PE机构的人民币基金在进行项目投资时都被认定为是境外基金，将来再以FIE GP基金的形式募集新的人民币基金的可能性将大大降低。通过解读发改委对发布的相关文件和其他监管部门披露的信息，笔者认为，对市场上对于上述消息的影响存在一定的误解。
