SHANGHAI, CHINA and LOS ANGELES, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 02/08/13 -- Tony K. Mou has joined Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP as a partner in the Corporate practice group and will be based in the firm's Shanghai office. Mou joins from Morgan Lewis in Beijing.

Mou advises multinational companies operating in China in a broad range of general corporate and transactional matters. Mou focuses on representing private equity/venture capital clients, entrepreneurs, venture-backed companies as well as inbound and outbound mergers and acquisitions. He also provides advice in the areas of foreign direct investment, foreign-exchange control, employment and international tax. Mou also assists overseas investors in setting up operations in China and acquiring local Chinese companies.

In addition, Mou's practice supports workforce issues related to transactional matters, including noncompetes, labor contracts, leave rights, and terminations. He also serves clients on M&A-related workforce transfer planning and negotiation.

"Tony's broad-based Corporate practice dovetails well with the firm's existing expertise and expands our dealmaking capabilities in China. He is a significant addition to our Shanghai office and to the Corporate practice group, given his concentration on company-side representation of established and emerging companies looking for venture capital or private equity financing," said Guy N. Halgren, chairman of Sheppard Mullin.

"I am excited to join Sheppard Mullin, as well as relocate to Shanghai. I look forward to growing the Asian corporate and private equity practice with partner Don Williams in the Shanghai office. The firm's successful expansion in China is impressive, and I was particularly attracted to Sheppard Mullin's robust Corporate practice and collegial culture," Mou commented.

Mou received his J.D. in 2001 from Cornell Law School, M.B.A. in 1994 from City University of New York, Bernard M. Baruch College and B.A. in 1989 from National Taiwan University. Mou is a native Mandarin speaker. In addition to being an attorney, he is a certified public accountant (with an inactive status).

In Dec., Megan Gess joined Sheppard Mullin's Orange County office as a partner in the firm's Corporate practice group from O'Melveny & Myers.

Sheppard Mullin's Corporate practice group includes 150 attorneys firmwide. The firm has 20 attorneys based in its China offices (Beijing and Shanghai).

About Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP
Sheppard Mullin is a full service Global 100 firm with 630 attorneys in 16 offices located in the United States, Europe and Asia. Since 1927, companies have turned to Sheppard Mullin to handle corporate and technology matters, high stakes litigation and complex financial transactions. In the U.S., the firm's clients include more than half of the Fortune 100. For more information, please visit www.sheppardmullin.com.