Arlo Kipfer

Arlo is based in Bogotá, where he advises clients on Latin America and China business issues. In addition, Arlo has advised clients on the establishment of several independent and joint venture international schools and he is a frequent speaker at international school conferences.

How to get paid by Chinese Companies

Money for Nothing: Paying Chinese Suppliers in Hong Kong or Singapore

Your China manufacturer asks you to send its payment to a bank account in another jurisdiction, such as Hong Kong or Singapore. Should you agree? Probably not. When working with our clients that are having their products manufactured in China (or in various other leading manufacturing countries such as Taiwan, Thailand, Mexico, Poland, Vietnam, India,

China employment law lawyer

Understanding China Employment Laws and Employees

China is not an employment-at-will jurisdiction and terminating China employees is nearly always difficult. To make things even more challenging, many foreign companies doing business in China manage their China affairs from afar.

China employee non-compete

China Employee Non-Compete Agreements: Essential Guidelines and Compensation Requirement

Many American companies (at least outside California where employee non-competes are generally considered invalid) love non-competes and they use them as a matter of course with most (sometimes all) their employees. Generally, a non-compete agreement or a non-compete provision in an employee contract provides that the employee cannot work for one of the employer’s competitors

guards

Your China Risk Factors in These Tense Times

China is (again) in the midst of a concerted government crackdown against foreign companies doing business in China. And if that is not bad enough, if your country has been deemed by China to have disrespected it by speaking out against forced labor or enhancing diplomatic relations with Taiwan, your own expatriate staff themselves may

international classroom

So You Want to Start an International School? Legal Structure and Local Partner

Contents of this Article: 1. Legal Structure 2. Local Partner 3. Choosing the Right Deal Structure 4. Protect Your School’s Intellectual Property Demand for English-based and Western-style education is still running high in many countries around the world. An ever-increasing number of wealthy locals want to prepare their children to attend elite universities abroad and

China job offer letters

China Employment Offer Letters: Compliance is Mandatory

China Employment Offer Letters are Not Mandatory China employers often want to extend an employment offer letter to their potential new hires to prove they are serious about bringing them on board. Some candidates expect or may even request an “official” offer letter from their potential employer. This is understandable. However, offer letters are neither

China employment lawyers

China Employee Social Insurance Laws

It is not news that Chinese labor authorities have been cracking down on employers that fail to make social insurance payments for their employees. What is news is that Chinese labor authorities are taking that enforcement to the next level. Last week, 28 government departments (including the National Development and Reform Commission, the People’s Bank

China employment lawyer

China Employee Warning Signs

My law firm’s China employment lawyers have done a ton of employer audits this year and from those we compiled the following list of the most common “warning signs” of impending employment problems. 1. All or some of your employment documents are in English only If your employment documents are in English, you are giving