Freshfields advises General Motors on its strategic renewal of the SAIC General Motors joint venture

Global law firm Freshfields has advised General Motors on the 20-year extension of their joint venture partnership with SAIC Motor Corporation Limited, SAIC-GM, to 2047. The announcement was made on August 4, 2026.

Established in 1997, SAIC-GM has been a leading force in China’s automotive industry.

The Freshfields team was led by partners Zheng (Jonathan) Zhou (New York) and Alan Wang (Shanghai), together with senior associates Ryan Taylor, River He, Allen Yan and Zhiyuan Gu, and associates Yichen Xing and Anqi Yu. The team also included Hong Kong partner Richard Bird and senior associate Harshavardhan Ganesan, who advised on certain IP licensing matters; Beijing partner Xin Liu, who provided compliance advice; Singapore partner Nicholas Lingard, together with consultant Yong Wei Chan and associate Sue Ng, who provided advice relating to Singapore arbitration issues; and Washington partner Nabeel Yousef and counsel Justin Simeone, who provided advice relating to compliance matters.