JOEY CHOU
Founder & Partner
Joey Chou has lived and worked in China since 1993. For more than three decades, he has advised international companies, entrepreneurs and private clients on legal, tax, regulatory, business and cross-border matters in China.
His experience spans foreign investment, corporate structuring, market entry, tax and compliance, commercial negotiations, restructuring, regulatory affairs, cross-border transactions and private client representation. His approach combines professional advisory experience with first-hand knowledge of building, operating and exiting businesses in China.
OPING — International Business Advisory
Joey founded OPING in 2002. Since then, he has worked with foreign companies and business owners at many different stages of their China journey — from establishing and growing operations to restructuring, resolving difficult issues and, when the time comes, closing properly.
Today, OPING focuses on four core areas:
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Enter China & Offshore — Helping foreign investors establish appropriate China and cross-border structures, including offshore arrangements, and operate compliantly in China.
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High-Tech & Tax Incentives — Helping qualifying technology and R&D-driven companies navigate high-tech qualification, R&D tax incentives and relevant government support programs.
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Exit China — Helping foreign companies manage tax, employees, creditors, assets, liquidation and deregistration so that their China operations can be brought to an orderly conclusion.
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Private Client — Acting as a trusted representative in Shanghai for overseas individuals, families and business owners who need important matters handled locally when they cannot be here themselves.
Alongside his work at OPING, Joey also serves as Of Counsel to Jingtian & Gongcheng, one of China's leading PRC law firms, a position he has held for nearly a decade. This enables him to coordinate experienced PRC legal support when formal legal advice or representation is required.
Professional and Entrepreneurial Background
Earlier in his career, Joey spent more than five years with Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu in Shanghai, where he helped establish and grow a business and tax advisory practice of approximately 40 professionals serving major multinational companies.
Beyond professional advisory work, Joey has also been directly involved in building technology businesses, giving him an entrepreneur's perspective on innovation, commercial execution and the challenges of operating across borders.
In 2000, he co-founded ChinaLOOP, an early data-driven marketing and business intelligence company during the formative years of China's internet economy. ChinaLOOP applied database technology, data mining and analytics to customer intelligence and marketing at a time when these approaches were still emerging in China.
ChinaLOOP was acquired by Acxiom Corporation in 2004. Following the acquisition, Joey continued with Acxiom Greater China as General Counsel, supporting the integration and further development of the business.
He subsequently co-founded Allure Systems, a fashion technology company developing innovative automated imaging solutions that anticipated many of today's AI-driven approaches to digital content creation.
Long before generative AI became mainstream, Allure Systems developed technology to virtualize fashion models and generate photorealistic, true-to-fit product imagery without conventional photoshoots. Its solutions enabled fashion brands and retailers to scale image production, maintain creative control and accelerate speed to market.
As Co-Founder and General Counsel, Joey contributed to the company's strategic development, legal affairs and international growth. Allure Systems was subsequently acquired by Farfetch, the global luxury fashion technology platform.
These entrepreneurial experiences have given Joey a practical understanding of the opportunities, risks and difficult decisions involved in establishing, growing, restructuring and exiting businesses — particularly where emerging technology, regulation and international markets intersect.
Legal and Academic Background
Joey holds a Bachelor of Administration from Concordia University in Canada, with academic studies in Business Administration and Managerial Law. In 1993, he was selected as a Research Fellow under the Canada–China Scholars' Exchange Program, undertaking advanced legal research in Chinese and comparative law at Fudan University School of Law in Shanghai.
He went on to complete a three-year Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Chinese and comparative law, pursue postgraduate specialization in Chinese banking law and foreign exchange regulation, and undertake advanced doctoral studies and research at Fudan University.
During this period, he also worked with the Trade Commissioner Service at the Canadian Consulate General in Shanghai, supporting bilateral trade and business relations, including coordination and reception activities during Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's 1996 visit to Shanghai.
This combination of advanced legal education and research, international trade experience and government relations laid the foundation for his subsequent career advising international companies and investors in China.
A Personal Approach to Cross-Border Matters
Joey also understands the personal side of cross-border matters.
Over the years, he has dealt with property and inheritance issues within his own family across several generations, involving different relatives, jurisdictions, documents and practical complications.
That experience has reinforced something he has learned repeatedly in professional life: the most difficult part is often not the paperwork itself. It is knowing whom you can trust to understand the situation, exercise sound judgment and look after your interests when you cannot be there yourself.
Whether assisting an international company with a complex restructuring or representing an overseas family with matters in Shanghai, Joey believes that good advice must be practical, independent and grounded in a clear understanding of the client's circumstances.
His approach is straightforward: understand the objective, identify the real risks, bring together the right people, and stay personally involved until the matter is resolved.
Contact OPING for a free initial consultation.
▸ Substack
Key credentials
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Founder & Partner of OPING since 2002, with more than three decades of professional experience in China since 1993
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33+ years of experience in international business, legal, tax, regulatory and cross-border advisory matters
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Of Counsel to Jingtian & Gongcheng, one of China's leading PRC law firms, a position held concurrently with OPING for nearly a decade
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Former Deloitte Shanghai business and tax advisory leader, helping establish and grow a practice of approximately 40 professionals
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Co-Founder of ChinaLOOP, an early pioneer in data mining, business intelligence and CRM in China; acquired by Acxiom Corporation in 2004
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Former General Counsel of Acxiom Greater China, following the acquisition of ChinaLOOP
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Co-Founder & General Counsel of Allure Systems, an early innovator in automated fashion imaging technology; subsequently acquired by Farfetch
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Bachelor of Administration with dual specializations in Business Administration and Managerial Law in Canada
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Research Fellow of the Canada–China Scholars Exchange Program, with a three-year Master of Laws (LL.M.) program in Chinese and comparative law, postgraduate specialization in Chinese banking law and foreign exchange regulation, and advanced doctoral studies at Fudan University School of Law.
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Formerly with the Canadian Consulate General in Shanghai, supporting bilateral trade relations, including activities during Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's 1996 visit
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Former broadcaster and journalist at Radio Centre-Ville (CINQ FM 102.3) in Montreal, hosting Chinese-language legal education and public affairs programming
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First-hand experience in multigenerational family property and inheritance matters involving China and cross-border family interests
SIT SEI WEI
Partner
Sei Wei Sit brings more than 23 years of international banking and capital markets experience across the United States, Europe, Latin America, and Asia.
His career has focused on debt capital markets, structured finance, syndicated lending, asset trading, origination, execution and distribution. He began his career with Citibank, working in New York, London and Paris, where he helped develop the bank’s asset trading activities and later became a founding member of Citibank’s Capital Markets Group in Paris.
He subsequently held senior roles with Bank of Boston / BancBoston Robertson Stephens, where he built and led a syndicated loan business focused on Latin American borrowers, and with ING Bank in Hong Kong, where he was responsible for fixed-income and debt capital markets products across the Asia-Pacific region.
Throughout his career, Sei Wei has worked with multinational companies, financial institutions, government-related entities and investors on complex international financing and cross-border transactions.
He holds degrees in Business Administration from Fundação Getulio Vargas and Law from the University of São Paulo in Brazil.
Sei Wei is highly international and multilingual. He speaks English, Mandarin, Shanghainese, Cantonese, Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese.
At OPING, his international financial background brings an additional perspective to clients dealing with cross-border investment, financing, corporate structuring, and international business matters.
Key Credentials
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23+ years of international banking and capital markets experience
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Former Citibank executive in New York, London and Paris
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Founding member of Citibank’s Capital Markets Group in Paris
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Former Managing Director, BancBoston Robertson Stephens
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Former Director, Debt Capital Markets, ING Bank Hong Kong
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Extensive experience in syndicated loans, structured finance and fixed income
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Worked across the United States, Europe, Latin America and Asia
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Degrees in Business Administration and Law
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Multilingual: English, Mandarin, Shanghainese, Cantonese, Spanish, French, Italian and Portuguese
JUN DAI, Esq.
Advisor
Jun Dai offers over 30 years of China and international legal experience. Specialized in Corporate Laws and M&A,
Commercial Litigation, Foreign Direct Investments, Outbound Direct Investment.
ALICE HUANG, Esq., CPA.
Advisor
Alice Huang offers over 30 years of China and international legal and tax experience. Specialized in Corporate Finance, Private Equity, Cross-Border Investments, Corporate Governance.
ALEX XU, CPA
Advisor
Alex Xu offers over 30 years of China and International tax and audit experience. Specialized in PRC, IFRS and US GAAP Reporting, Due Diligence, Business Transactions, Company Valuation.