Consulting services, legal support and business assistance in China

Rules for the Provision of Consulting and Legal Services

Revision dated “01” September 2026

These Rules determine the general procedure for interaction between Consulting Company XXXX, registration number XXXXXX (Unified Social Credit Code of the PRC), legal address: PRC XXXXXXX, hereinafter — the Contractor, and the person seeking legal assistance, hereinafter — the Client.

1. General Provisions

1.1. These Rules govern the procedure for requesting consulting and legal services, agreeing on the assignment, payment, performance, acceptance of the result, exchange of documents, observance of confidentiality and termination of the provision of services.

1.2. The Rules apply to consulting and legal services provided by the Contractor in person, remotely, in writing, orally, via the website, e-mail, messengers, personal account, electronic document management systems or otherwise agreed method.

1.3. If a separate contract, agreement, order, invoice, appendix, technical assignment or other document defining the terms of a specific assignment is concluded between the Client and the Contractor, such special terms shall take precedence over these Rules.

1.4. The placement of the Rules on the website does not in itself imply an unconditional obligation of the Contractor to accept any assignment. The Contractor is entitled, prior to the commencement of work, to verify the possibility of providing the service, the existence of a conflict of interest, the lawfulness of the assignment, the completeness of the initial data and the availability of the necessary competence.

1.5. The Contractor does not provide services aimed at circumventing the law, concealing illegal actions, misleading the court, state bodies, counterparties or other persons.

2. Terms

2.1. Services — legal consultations, preparation of documents, legal analysis, transaction support, claim work, representation, subscription services, participation in negotiations and other legal actions.

2.2. Assignment — a task agreed between the Client and the Contractor, containing a description of the issue, scope of work, result format, timelines, cost and other essential terms.

2.3. Request — an appeal by the Client via the website, e-mail, messenger, telephone or other communication channel.

2.4. Result of services — consultation, legal position, draft document, conclusion, report, collection of documents, submission of a request, participation in negotiations, performance of a procedural action or other agreed result.

3. Procedure for Applying and Accepting an Assignment

3.1. To commence work, the Client sends the Contractor a Request describing the situation, desired result, timelines, contact details and available documents to the Contractor’s official e-mail.

3.2. The Contractor is entitled to request from the Client additional information, documents, explanations, information about the parties to a dispute or transaction, beneficiaries, counterparties, related persons and other circumstances necessary for assessing the assignment.

3.3. Before accepting the assignment, the Contractor is entitled to carry out a preliminary review of the materials, including the following:

1. Assess whether there is a conflict of interest.
2. Determine whether the assignment complies with applicable law and professional standards.
3. Review the submitted documents for sufficiency.
4. Determine whether the service can be provided within the stated timeframe.
5. Suggest an alternative format of work if the initial request requires clarification.

3.4. An assignment is considered accepted by the Contractor only after agreement on the essential terms and the occurrence of one of the following circumstances:

1. Signing of a contract or appendix.
2. Payment of an invoice, if the invoice contains a description of the service.
3. Confirmation of the order via the website or personal account.
4. Written confirmation by the Contractor of acceptance of the assignment.
5. Any other action expressly agreed by the parties as the commencement of the provision of services.

3.5. The Contractor is entitled to refuse acceptance of an assignment without giving reasons, provided such refusal does not breach already accepted obligations.

4. Types of Consulting Services

1. Oral and written consultations.
2. Development of a long-term development strategy, defining the mission and goals of the company, analysis of the market and competitive environment.
3. Consultations on compliance with applicable law, transaction structuring, risks.
4. Support of negotiations and transactions.
5. Market and target audience analysis, development of marketing strategies, brand positioning, selection of promotion channels.
6. Provision of specialized consulting services and recommendations based on an analysis of the situation.
7. Provision of a range of consulting services that help businesses, NPOs or industry associations build effective and legitimate interaction with government bodies and key institutions of society (consulting using Government Relations (GR) tools and institutional communications).
8. Subscription consulting services.
9. Urgent remote consulting assistance.
10. Comprehensive consulting support for projects.
11. Other services agreed by the parties.

5. Types of Legal Services

5.1. The Contractor may provide the following services:

1. Oral and written consultations.
2. Drafting of contracts, claims, complaints, statements, procedural documents and other legal documents.
3. Legal analysis of documents, transactions, corporate structures, judicial prospects, risks.
4. Support of negotiations and transactions.
5. Representation in government bodies, organizations and before third parties.
6. Subscription legal services.
7. Urgent remote legal assistance.
8. Comprehensive project support.
9. Other services agreed by the parties.

5.2. The specific list of services, result format, timelines, cost and procedure for interaction are set out in the Assignment.

5.3. If the Client requests actions beyond the agreed Assignment, such actions are considered additional services and require separate agreement on cost and timelines.

6. Format of Service Provision

6.1. Services may be provided in the following formats:

1. In person.
2. Via telephone or video communication.
3. By using e-mail.
4. By using messengers.
5. Through a personal account.
6. Through an electronic document management system.
7. By sending a written result.
8. By participating in negotiations, sessions, meetings or other events.

6.2. If the service is provided remotely, the Client bears sole responsibility for the correctness of the provided contact details, the operability of the communication channels used and timely familiarization with the materials sent.

6.3. Documents and messages sent from the addresses, numbers, accounts specified by the Client are deemed to originate from the Client, unless the Contractor has been notified in writing in advance about the compromise of access.

7. Contractor’s Obligations

7.1. The Contractor undertakes:

1. To provide services in good faith, reasonably and taking into account applicable law.
2. To use the documents and information provided by the Client solely for the execution of the Assignment.
3. To inform the Client of material circumstances affecting the execution of the Assignment.
4. To maintain confidentiality.
5. To warn the Client of identified legal risks if they are relevant to the assignment.
6. Not to accept an assignment in the event of an unavoidable conflict of interest.
7. To transfer the agreed result of the services to the Client.

7.2. The Contractor is entitled to independently determine the legal methodology of work, unless a specific procedure is agreed by the parties in writing.

7.3. The Contractor is not obliged to follow the Client’s instructions if they contradict legislation, professional ethics, judicial practice, public order or may cause harm to the Contractor, the Client or third parties.

8. Client’s Obligations

8.1. The Client undertakes:

1. Timely provide complete, reliable and up-to-date information (timeliness standards: ISO/IEC 25012, ISO 8000).
2. Submit documents in a legible and workable form.
3. Report all circumstances that may affect the execution of the Assignment.
4. Pay for the services and expenses in the agreed manner.
5. Timely respond to the Contractor’s inquiries.
6. Issue powers of attorney, sign documents and perform other actions necessary for the execution of the Assignment.
7. Not to use the documents prepared by the Contractor for illegal purposes.
8. Notify the Contractor of changes in contact details.

8.2. The Client bears the risk of consequences caused by incompleteness, unreliability or untimeliness of the information provided.

8.3. If the Client fails to provide the necessary documents or explanations, the Contractor is entitled to suspend work, amend the timelines or refuse further provision of services with payment for the work actually performed.

9. Cost of Services and Payment Procedure

9.1. The cost of services is determined by one or more methods:

1. Fixed price per service.
2. Hourly rate.
3. Subscription fee.
4. Package of hours or package of services.
5. Payment by stages.
6. Other model agreed by the parties.

9.2. If the cost is determined on an hourly basis, the actual time spent by the Contractor’s specialists is subject to accounting, including document analysis, preparation of the legal position, correspondence, negotiations, internal discussions on the project, preparation of documents, participation in sessions, travel and waiting, if agreed by the parties.

9.3. Unless otherwise provided by the contract, agreement, invoice, appendix, request or other document agreed by the Parties, the cost of the Contractor’s services is determined based on the actual time spent by the Contractor’s specialists and the following base hourly rates.

Cost of the Contractor’s Services

Summary Table of Rates and Timeframes

Name of Service	Rate	Service Timeframe
Oral consultation on general matters. Expert – partner level	2,000 yuan / 1 hour	60 minutes
Oral consultation on complex specialized matters. Expert – partner level	3,000 yuan / 1 hour	60 minutes
Written expert consultation opinion (comparative analysis of legal norms of Russia, Japan, Korea, application of international conventions, maritime law)	10,000 – 20,000 yuan / piece depending on project complexity	3–10 business days
Translation of documents on complex specialized matters	English ≈800 yuan / page; other languages: ≈1,000 yuan / page or 350–700 yuan / 1,000 characters	3–7 business days / document
Drafting a standard international contract	5,000–15,000 yuan / piece	3–7 business days
Custom development of an agreement, contract	from 20,000 yuan depending on project complexity	5–15 business days

Urgent assignments – surcharge up to 50%. Multiplicative factors – for services involving several foreign languages or special complexity, the rate may be increased by 2–4 times; for particularly complex matters – by 2–5 times, in accordance with industry recommendations. These rates are advisory in nature; the final price is fixed by agreement of the parties.

9.4. The above rates apply to legal services of average complexity, including standard legal analysis, drafting standard and individualized documents, consultations, legal review of documents, preparation of legal positions and other services comparable in scope and complexity.

9.5. For assignments of increased complexity, the Contractor is entitled to apply multiplicative factors to the base hourly rates. Such assignments may include, in particular:

1. Urgent assignments requiring performance outside working hours, on weekends or public holidays.
2. Assignments requiring analysis of a large volume of documents, a non-standard legal position or coordination of several specialists.
3. Assignments requiring the involvement of highly qualified specialists or external consultants.
4. Projects with increased commercial, reputational, procedural or regulatory risks.
5. Complex judicial, corporate, tax, antitrust, sanctions, cross-border or other projects of increased complexity.

9.6. The amount of the multiplying factor is determined by the Contractor taking into account the nature of the assignment, urgency, volume of documents, level of risk, qualifications of the specialists involved and other material circumstances. Unless otherwise agreed by the Parties, the multiplying factor ranges from 1.5 to 3.0 of the corresponding base hourly rate.

9.7. The Contractor shall notify the Client of the application of a multiplying factor before commencing the execution of the relevant assignment or part thereof, except for cases where the need to perform urgent actions arises immediately to protect the Client’s interests.

9.8. Billable time may include document analysis, study of circumstances, legal research, preparation of documents, development of a legal position, correspondence, telephone conversations, video conferences, participation in meetings, court sessions, negotiations, internal discussion of the project by the Contractor’s specialists, preparation of reports, as well as other actions necessary for the execution of the assignment.

9.9. Unless otherwise agreed by the parties, services are provided on a prepayment basis.

9.10. Payment may be made by bank transfer, bank card, by invoice, through a payment service, personal account or other method agreed by the parties.

9.11. The Client’s payment obligation is considered fulfilled upon receipt of funds to the Contractor’s settlement account or confirmation of successful payment by the payment operator.

9.12. Commissions of banks, payment systems, communication operators and other intermediaries are paid by the Client, unless otherwise agreed by the parties.

10. Expenses and Additional Payments

10.1. The cost of services does not include, unless otherwise agreed in writing, payment of the following expenses:

1. Payment of state fees.
2. Notarial expenses.
3. Postal and courier expenses.
4. Expenses for experts, translators, appraisers, auditors, patent attorneys and other specialists.
5. Travel and transportation expenses.
6. Expenses for obtaining extracts, certificates, copies of documents.
7. Expenses for legalization, apostille, translation and certification of documents.
8. Court costs.

10.2. Such expenses are paid by the Client directly or reimbursed to the Contractor on the basis of an invoice, report, supporting documents or other agreed procedure.

10.3. The Contractor is entitled to request an advance for anticipated expenses.

11. Timeframes for the Provision of Services

11.1. The timeframes for performance are determined in the Assignment.

11.2. The period shall commence no earlier than the occurrence of all the following conditions, unless otherwise agreed by the parties:

1. The terms of the Assignment are agreed.
2. Prepayment is made, if provided for.
3. The Client has provided the necessary documents and information, including those requested by the Contractor.
4. A power of attorney is issued, if required.
5. Circumstances preventing the commencement of work are eliminated.

11.3. Timeframes are extended by the period of delay caused by the actions or inaction of the Client, third parties, state bodies, court, notary, bank, registrar, communication operator, payment system or other persons beyond the Contractor’s control.

11.4. Urgent performance is possible only upon separate agreement. An additional fee may be charged for urgency.

12. Acceptance of Services

12.1. The result of the services shall be transferred to the Client by a method agreed by the parties: by e-mail, through a personal account, messenger, electronic document management system, in person, by postal dispatch or other method.

12.2. If the result is an oral consultation, the service is deemed rendered at the time the consultation ends.

12.3. If the result is a written document, the service is deemed rendered at the time the respective document is sent to the Client, unless otherwise agreed by the parties.

12.4. The Contractor is entitled to send the Client a statement, report, notice of completion of the service or other document confirming performance.

12.5. If within 5 business days from the date of sending the result or statement the Client has not submitted motivated written objections, the services shall be deemed accepted without comment.

12.6. The Client’s objections must contain a specific description of the shortcomings and a reference to the agreed Assignment. The Client’s disagreement with the legal position, an unfavorable development of the dispute, actions of a court, government body, counterparty or third party do not in themselves constitute improper provision of services.

12.7. The Contractor shall remedy justified remarks within a reasonable timeframe if they relate to the agreed scope of services.

13. No Guarantee of Result

13.1. The Contractor undertakes to provide services professionally and in good faith, but does not guarantee the achievement of a specific economic, judicial, administrative, registration, tax, corporate or other result, unless such guarantee is expressly provided for by law and a written agreement of the parties.

13.2. Any forecasts, assessments of prospects, probability of outcome, risks or possible actions of third parties constitute the professional opinion of the Contractor as of the date they are given and are not a promise of result.

13.3. The outcome of a case may depend on circumstances beyond the Contractor’s control: the position of a court, state bodies, counterparties, witnesses, experts, changes in legislation, emergence of new evidence, actions of the Client or third parties.

14. Conflict of Interest

14.1. The Contractor shall not accept or continue an assignment if an unavoidable conflict of interest exists.

14.2. For the purpose of checking for a conflict of interest, the Client is obliged to inform the Contractor of information about itself, counterparties, opponents, related persons, participants in a transaction or dispute, beneficiaries and other relevant persons.

14.3. The following shall not in themselves be considered a conflict of interest:

1. Provision of services to different clients from the same industry.
2. Existence of similar legal issues among clients.
3. Preparation of standard documents for different clients.
4. Provision of services on matters not factually and legally related to each other.

14.4. If a potential conflict of interest can be eliminated by disclosure of information and consent of the interested persons, the Contractor is entitled to continue work only after obtaining the necessary consents.

14.5. If a conflict of interest is discovered after the commencement of work, the Contractor shall notify the Client and shall be entitled to terminate the provision of services in full or in the relevant part.

15. Engagement of Third Parties

15.1. The Contractor is entitled to engage employees, consultants, attorneys, experts, translators, appraisers, notaries, patent attorneys, technical specialists and other persons for the execution of an assignment, if this is necessary for the proper provision of services.

15.2. If the engagement of a third party entails additional expenses for the Client, such expenses are subject to prior agreement, except for urgent expenses necessary to protect the Client’s interests, if the parties have agreed on such a procedure in advance.

15.3. The Contractor shall take reasonable measures to maintain confidentiality when transferring information to engaged persons.

16. Confidentiality

16.1. The Parties undertake not to disclose to third parties information obtained in connection with the provision of services, including documents, correspondence, legal positions, commercial information, personal data, information about a dispute, transaction, business structure, negotiations and other circumstances.

16.2. Confidentiality does not apply to the following information:

1. Information that has become publicly available through no fault of the receiving party.
2. Information disclosed with the written consent of the other party.
3. Information subject to disclosure by virtue of law, a judicial act or a request of an authorized body.
4. Information necessary for the protection of the Contractor’s rights in the recovery of debts or resolution of a dispute with the Client.
5. Information transferred to engaged specialists to the extent necessary for the execution of the Assignment.

16.3. The confidentiality obligation shall remain in effect for the duration of the provision of services and for 5 years after their completion, unless a longer period is established by the contract or by law.

17. Personal Data

17.1. The Client, being an individual, grants the Contractor consent to the processing of personal data for the purposes of reviewing the Request, concluding and performing the contract, providing services, maintaining accounting and tax records, sending documents, communicating with the Client and protecting the Contractor’s rights.

17.2. If the Client transfers personal data of third parties to the Contractor, the Client confirms that there is a lawful basis for such transfer.

17.3. The Contractor processes personal data in accordance with applicable law and its personal data processing policy.

18. Intellectual Rights and Use of Documents

18.1. Documents, opinions, templates, legal positions, analytical materials and other results prepared by the Contractor are intended for the Client’s use within the framework of the agreed Assignment.

18.2. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, the Client is not entitled to transfer the results of services to third parties for independent commercial use, resale, publication, posting in open access or inclusion in document databases.

18.3. The Client is entitled to use the prepared documents for the purposes for which they were ordered.

18.4. The Contractor is entitled to use anonymized information about the completed project for marketing, analytical and professional purposes, provided this does not disclose the Client’s confidential information.

19. Electronic Document Management and Correspondence

19.1. The Parties recognize the legal validity of messages, documents, scans, files and other materials sent through the agreed communication channels, if it follows from the circumstances that the message originates from the respective party.

19.2. Documents signed with a simple electronic signature, an enhanced electronic signature, through an electronic document management system or by another agreed method shall be recognized as equivalent to paper documents, unless this contradicts the law.

19.3. The Client is obliged to independently ensure the security of their devices, accounts, e-mail, messengers and personal account.

20. Refusal of Services and Refund of Funds

20.1. The Client is entitled to refuse services provided that the actually rendered services and expenses incurred by the Contractor are paid for.

20.2. If the Client refused the service before the commencement of work, the Contractor shall refund the amount paid, less actually incurred expenses, payment system commissions and other deductions, if applicable.

20.3. If work has begun but is not completed on the Client’s initiative, the Contractor is entitled to withhold the cost of the actually performed part of the services.

20.4. If the service has been provided in full, the funds are not refunded, except for cases of improper provision of services confirmed by the parties or established by an effective judicial act.

20.5. For subscription services and packages of hours, a refund shall be made taking into account the period actually used, the volume of services rendered, reserved resources and the terms of the specific tariff.

21. Suspension and Termination of Services

21.1. The Contractor is entitled to suspend the provision of services in the following cases:

1. The Client has violated the payment term.
2. The Client has not provided documents or explanations.
3. The Client has not issued a power of attorney confirming the Contractor’s authority.
4. A conflict of interest has arisen.
5. Continuation of work may lead to a violation of the law.
6. The Client demands the performance of illegal or unfair actions.
7. Communication with the Client is absent for more than 10 calendar days if continuation of work is impossible without their participation.

21.2. The Contractor is entitled to refuse further provision of services with notice to the Client if the violation by the Client is not remedied within a reasonable time.

21.3. Termination of the provision of services does not release the Client from payment for the services actually provided and expenses incurred.

22. Liability of the Parties

22.1. The Parties shall be liable for breach of obligations in accordance with legislation and the agreed terms.

22.2. The Contractor shall not be liable for consequences arising from the occurrence of the following circumstances:

1. The Client’s provision of incomplete, unreliable or untimely information.
2. Untimely payment.
3. Independent actions of the Client without agreement with the Contractor.
4. Changes in legislation or judicial practice after the provision of the service.
5. Actions or inaction of a court, state bodies, banks, notaries, registrars, counterparties, experts and other third parties.
6. Use by the Client of the result of services for purposes other than intended.

22.3. Unless otherwise established by law, the aggregate liability of the Contractor shall be limited to the amount of remuneration actually received by the Contractor for the respective Assignment.

22.4. The Contractor shall not be liable for lost profits, indirect losses, reputational losses, fines and sanctions incurred by the Client, unless they are a direct consequence of a culpable violation by the Contractor of its obligations.

23. Force Majeure

23.1. The Parties shall be released from liability for non-performance or improper performance of obligations if it is caused by force majeure circumstances that the party could not reasonably foresee and prevent.

23.2. Such circumstances may include emergencies, military actions, mass failures of communications and payment infrastructure, restrictions of government bodies, strikes, epidemics, natural disasters, fires, technological accidents and other circumstances beyond the control of the parties.

23.3. The party for whom such circumstances have arisen must notify the other party within a reasonable time.

24. Claim Procedure and Dispute Resolution

24.1. Prior to applying to a court, a party shall send a written claim to the other party.

24.2. The time limit for responding to a claim is 30 business days from the date of its receipt, unless a different time limit is established by law or contract.

24.3. If a dispute is not settled through negotiations, it shall be subject to consideration in a court at the Contractor’s location, unless a different jurisdiction is established by law or agreement of the parties.

24.4. The relations of the parties shall be governed by the law of the PRC.

25. Amendment of the Rules

25.1. The Contractor is entitled to amend these Rules.

25.2. The new version shall apply to assignments accepted after its placement on the website, unless otherwise specified in the new version or agreed by the parties.

25.3. The version of the Rules in effect as of the date of acceptance of the respective Assignment shall apply to assignments already accepted, unless the parties agree otherwise.

26. Legal Basis

PRC “Company Law” (《公司法》) and “Regulation on the Registration and Administration of Market Entities” (《市场主体登记管理条例》).

State Council General Office Document No. 16 (2004) (国发〔2004〕16号).

Notice of the State Administration for Market Regulation (市场监管总局) on the standardization of types of activities (2021).

“Measures for the Administration of Prices of Intermediary Services” (《中介服务收费管理办法》, 计价格〔1999〕2255号).

The Company adheres to the principle of freedom of contract. Prices are established by agreement of the parties, taking into account the principles of good faith and transparency.

27. Contractor’s Details

Contractor:

Consulting Company XXXX, registration number XXXXXX (Unified Social Credit Code of the PRC), legal address: PRC XXXXXXX

Email:

Phone:

Website: