Taiwan Today

Lee & Li and the Law

More than three decades ago, Dr. James Lee and Dr. C.N. Li joined hands in Shanghai to found Lee & Li Attorneys-at-Law, a prestigious firm culminating at this time in a fruitful association of three prominent young lawyers, who bear with elan the torches passed down to them.

Dr. Paul S.P. Hsu, 43, characterizes his offices in this way: "The prime objective of Lee & Li is that the staff may go, but not the system."

Dr. K.T. Li, 39, adds: "All staff members at Lee & Li are highly educat­ed. Since everyone respects his fellows, and practices self-discipline, the firm runs smoothly."

Dr. C.V. Chen, 39, elaborates: "The best characteristic of our law staff is that they continuously move forward, not backward. If there is a problem, it is at what pace. I hope every legal institution will have the opportunity to undergo the exposure to which Lee & Li has been subjected. After we know what's going on in a case, what the pros and cons are, what is one theory, and what is another—we can quickly arrive at a desirable conclusion."

Under the leadership of these three senior partners, Lee & Li today is both the best known internationally, and the largest, law firm in the Republic of China. The firm's growth was, actually, speedier than expected: Lee & Li now has 9fficeS in San Francisco and Paris as well as in Kaohsiung, the second largest Taiwan city.

Dr. Hsu, reflecting back on the situation in 1969, noted that at that time, the firm had only 28 staff members, includ­ing drivers and other support staff. He went on to trace his own growth in the law:

Reminiscences: Making your way in the law

"As for myself, I was graduated from National Taiwan University Law School in 1962. I decided to further my studies in the United States on three accounts: First, only very few local law graduates are admitted to the bar. For instance, last year only six out of a total of 1,800 were admitted. Second, I came to believe that the proper lawyers' mission was not to settle disputes, but to prevent them. Third, I was and am interested in international affairs."

He finds himself, every day, greatly benefited by his years at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in Massa­chusetts. "The class of 65 totaled 77 students, 33 from states in America and 22 from foreign countries. It is a line setting for an education in international affairs. As the courses are especially oriented to the training of diplomats, I was subjected to the economic and political sciences, world-regional studies, and international law.

"After obtaining my M.A., I decided to try my luck working at a Citibank. I still remember that the desks in our office were arranged in a file. The man with the grayest hair was the vice presi­dent, and he sat far in the back. The greenest hand sat right in the forefront. I couldn't imagine that I would spend the rest of my life switching desks only when there was an opportunity.

"I decided to enter New York Uni­versity Law School partly because I was aware that though my general knowledge was rich and my language skills presentable, I still lacked substance and profes­sional skills. The following three years were an ordeal. Since all the courses were also offered at night, I was able to work at Wall Street law firms in the daytime. Fallowing my own future requirements, I chose law firms specializing in litigation law, corporate law, and mari­time law.

"A most impressive event occurred while I was working with a famous lawyer named Underwood. An oil tanker broke in two off Puerto Rico. The law firm I worked with represented the insur­ance company. It was imaginable that the tourist and fishery industries of Puerto Rico had suffered severe losses. At that time, I would wake up at 8:30 in the mornings and work on that case until 5 in the afternoon. And if I had no courses at night, I would confine myself to the library until closing time, at midnight. I turned in the results of my studies after three weeks of work. When ten days had passed, and my work was not acknowl­edged, I was about to give it all up-then Underwood walked over to me with a limp, and said: 'Mr. Hsu, I enjoyed your memorandum very much.' And he told me to engage in research instead of clerical work," Hsu recalled.

He said that as most of his professors were also famous lawyers, and since New York is so large and complicated a city, that the film "Paper Chase" actually depicts the hard work to which law stu­dents there are subjected. "We were given at least 20 cases or assignments in a week. Teachers would have quizzes in virtually every class." He earned his LL.M. in 1969.

At that time, though several law firms and insurance companies in New York offered him job opportunities, he decided to come back to the Republic of China in response to the invitation of Dr. James Lee. "Though James was a hard-driving man, he somehow lacked background in management concepts. Even the filing system was primitive. Dr. C.N. Li was then a retired public functionary, and his open-mindedness in particular allowed me a free hand to put the firm right." To start with, he set up a management—and filing—system. "I wanted my staff to pay attention to such 'small' things as how to approach a question. For instance, when we receive a letter inquiring about the chances of success in a certain case, an answer of '50-50' is not adequate. You must be able both to offer a detailed analysis, and to tell your clients under what conditions they will succeed. Or if the answer is 'No,' then it is 'No.'''

By 1973, when Dr. C.N. Li died, the staff of Lee & Li had grown to 50. The passing of the two founders in three years (Dr. James Lee died in 1970) posed a grave challenge to Lee & Li. "Many other law firms decided that the time had come to take over from our firm. But after personnel reshuffling and other reorganization, I am proud to say that we did not lose a single client," Hsu grinned.

At this juncture, the three new partners had a blueprint set for further development of the law firm. "We wanted a large organization, specialists to deal with different cases. As a corporate law firm, we also made up our mind not to di­verge into divorce, separation, and crimi­nal cases, etc. In addition to systematic management, Lee & Li was the first law firm here to set up personnel, retirement, and medical insurance systems. Our objective remains: Though people may go, not the system.

"We are proud to say," he went on, "that though such foreign attorneys as Robert Parker have now opened law of­fices in Taiwan, such enterprises as IBM, the Chase Manhattan Bank, General Foods, Amoco Petroleum Corp., Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., the Internation­al Commercial Bank of China, Ford Motors, the Hsinchu Science-based Industrial Park, and the China External Trade Development Council, among others, are our clients. Today, our staff has grown to 140."

The lively world of corporate investment

The law firm is divided into six departments-investment, corporate, banking, litigation, patent, and trade­mark. M.L. Yeh, 34, who has served with the firm for the seven years follow­ing his graduation from Soochow Uni­versity, believes the investment department to be the flagship of Lee & Li. Its legal services on behalf of foreign corpo­rations investing in Taiwan, or local firms investing overseas, include aspects of taxation, labor law, contracts, and the myriad of related problems.

C.S. Lin, executive vice president of President Enterprises Corp. in Tainan, recounts the Lee & Li association with his company:

"Though the local economic environment and investment climates may be totally different from those abroad, Paul Hsu is aware that in order to upgrade local food technology, we may re­quire reference to foreign know-how. From five years ago, Paul Hsu has worked for such information transfer single-handedly. I remember him approaching General Foods through bank contacts both in Taipei and the States. At his own expense, he engaged in persuading General Foods that Taiwan has a more ideal investment environment than most countries in Southeast Asia. In order to assess things on-the-spot, the chairman of the GF board visited Taiwan. General Foods did come to an overall understanding of our company, and two years ago, we decided to set up a joint-venture. Lee & Li then served as the bridge between our companies and the government. They did a great job in arranging government accommodation for foreign investment in our local food industry."

Dr. K.T. Li, who also obtained his bachelor's degree at National Taiwan University and LL.M. from New York University Law School, echoed this view: "Among the cases Lee & Li handled, the most significant portion involved our effort to develop the local investment environment. In the past, Taiwan welcomed investment by sophisticated 'hard' industries, because they helped both in introducing new tech­nological know-how to the country and in promoting local industry. Under the circumstances then, such industries as food and cosmetics, for example, were regarded as luxuries-of little significance in the development of the coun­try's economic base.

"Two years ago, Lee & Li embarked on intensive efforts to persuade the government that such 'soft' technologies were also of great importance to the country. As a partial result, such foreign brands as Quaker Oats, McDonald's Hamburgers, Maxwellhouse Coffee, and a number of General Foods brands were introduced on the local market.

"Think about it! Nestle invested US$20 million to set up a plant for the manufacture of such products as coffee and baby foods for the Taiwan market. This, incidentally, reflects the company's confidence that it will earn its investment back. People here can afford to buy such foods. Foreign investors' studies have as­sured them of Taiwan's high living stan­dards. On the other hand, we must admit that government economic technicians have initiated new economic concepts which have accommodated acceptance of our proposals."

A significant development in Taiwan, according to Dr. Li, lies in the social public's changing view of law. "Twenty years ago, while I was still studying at NTU, the public had the idea that law was more destructive of individual interests than constructive. This concept not only restricted the aspira­tions of youth toward legal work, but made the public at large reluctant to con­sult an attorney. Industrial and trade circles shared a negative conception of the law. They thought they could do every­thing, including legal work. They were conceited to the point of believing that their success in business would apply equally to associated legal activities.

"Now, two decades later, private enterprises have come to know that paying a sum of money to lay a solid legal foun­dation, will save much larger sums in the future. For example, if they sign a flawed contract, they may suffer grave losses afterwards. Even government enterprises now fully realize that legal work requires professional hands, and have been invit­ing attorneys to serve as consultants," Dr. Li asserted.

Eric Wei, section chief for investment at Hsinchu Science-based Industrial Park, sees the firm this way:

"Paul Hsu is himself a voluntary legal consultant to our Park, and we benefit considerably from his assistance. Last year, when the Park organized a contact team to visit several European countries, we invited one of the staff of Lee & Li to travel along. Because the firm knows our local laws very well, and has a good reputation in foreign trade circles, it is trusted in its responses to problems prospective investors may develop. When European countries raised ques­tions on trademark and patent law, Lee & Li was well-equipped to answer them.

"As a byproduct, since legal counsel for foreign investors are not familiar with local law, most of the companies in the Park refer to Lee & Li for their legal advice. On their behalf, Lee & Li frequently negotiates with us, applies for local bank loans and, of course, tends to red tape-all the required application forms. To say the least, the law firm's knowhow and competent performance save us a lot of trouble."

Peter Lu, assistant to the financial manager of IBM operations in Taipei, is another compelling witness. "Before 1966, IBM in Taipei was only a branch office. Lee & Li introduced us to the benefits of the Statutes for Investment by Foreign Nationals and for Technical Cooperation. After realizing that we could, at the very least, enjoy the merits of free purchase and sale of foreign ex­change plus business promotion benefits, we decided to expand the branch office into a subsidiary. Meanwhile, Lee & Li has served as bridge between us and the government, especially in that they are fully aware that without technical service from IBM, a machine is a machine. As a result, with the introduction of software and hardware, IBM systems here can now be upgraded at any time. Moreover, since IBM is now licensed to sell machines here (as of last October), the government can look to both increased tax revenues and savings in foreign exchange."

History and the law: China's changing face

In fact, the Chinese people have come a long way in their acceptance of law in the 1980s. Dr. C.V. Chen, who was graduated from National Taiwan University Law School, and obtained his LL.M. and SJ.D. from Harvard Law School, brings us back to ancient China:

"In the earliest times, the law was the equivalent of the country's folklore and basic organization. The system of the state centered on the relationship be­tween emperor and the governed. Grad­ually, as the society crumbled, horizontal people-to-people relationships increased and became more complicated. Moreover, the fundamental structure of both the family and the race deteriorated; the 'a promise is a promise' theory was no longer held to be a golden rule. Some norms regulating people-to-people relationships-which may be considered the li, etiquette or reason and not necessarily law-disappeared.

"From their experiences, people gradually discovered that ethics and reason were not sufficient for governing people; everything, instead, must be stated clearly beforehand. In addition, many technical and mechanical problems cropped up along with the social develop­ment. People had to take care of too many things at a time. They could no longer remember exactly what they had said or promised as clearly as in earlier times,

"The social structure also changed. The generation-to-generation undertak­ing of enterprises was outdated. People learned to join hands to organize a corporation instead of running a one-man show. As a result, law has finally started to playa pivotal role in this ancient socie­ty. Bitter experiences taught them that in addition to mutual acknowledgement of technical and business cooperation, negotiation and planning with another firm or individual are of vital importance. Only legal documents and stipulations will facilitate a multi-party joint-venture.

"Government institutions also started to pay attention to these phenomena. The transactions between government and people and the horizontal relations between countries grew. A government could even contract relations with a foreign company. The ROC's purchase of submarines from Holland is a prime example. The people never dreamed of such things in the past.

"Dealings between countries with different cultural, historical, and social backgrounds naturally engender dispa­rate points of view. Therefore, only by stating mutual agreements in legal terms, in advance, will the two parties be able to reduce misunderstandings and disputes to the minimum. In other words, the law started to play more of a preventive role than just settling discords."

Handling disputes in the Occident & Orient

When asked about differences in ap­proaches to law in the ROC and the West, Dr. Chen, lean and quick, first stared at us from behind his glasses, then elaborated: "With different background and experiences, Eastern and Western approaches to law, though quite arbitrari­ly, are definitely different. Differences in mentality lead Chinese individuals to resort to law only after they find that there is no way to iron out differences via sensibility or reason. In contrast, the Western tendency is to appeal to law whenever there is a dispute; the demerit is evident in Western society, where many trivial disputes could better be settled through sensibility or reason. They bypass negotiation and head for law. Today, we see many more law firms per capita in the West than in our country, recalling a saying of Confucius: 'Lawsuits lead to calamity; harmony brings fortune.'

"We must admit, however, that the Chinese approach also suffers severe drawbacks. Not everything can or should be settled out of court. To tolerate evil is to abet it. Some settlements may be sensible and reasonable but—at the same time—illegal; some others, the other way round. Realizing that to appeal to law too easily may be costly both in manpower and money, Western society now aspires to the mediation and conciliation that have been characteristic in our society. To name an example, in the past, many states in America stipulated that losers in a lawsuit must cover expenses for winners. This is changing. Whatever the outcome, in many areas both parties must now cover their own legal expenses. Confucius' golden mean is, perhaps, the best choice."

In his book, entitled A Practical Legal Guide for Conducting Business in the Republic of China, Paul Hsu testifies to Dr. Chen's remarks. Dr. Hsu relates an incident involving a Western businessman, who was traveling with a Chinese colleague in a car on a Taipei street. The car was proceeding at a normal speed and had the right of way. At a certain inter­section, a bicyclist suddenly attempted to cross the street, disregarding the red light, and was struck down by the car. The Western businessman was rightly concerned about the legal implications, and asked his Chinese colleague what would now happen. The Chinese businessman relieved his anxiety, saying, "It's all right, the most we have to do is to settle the matter with some money." The Westerner's primary concern was with who would be judged liable for the accident, and what legal judgment would be applied to the legally responsible party.

Dr. Chen's office is decorated with pictures of his daughter and son, and with their drawings. Accompanying these is a photo featuring two subma­rines, their tops emerging from the sea. A year ago, Dr. Chen negotiated the con­struction of two submarines for the ROC defense forces with a Dutch shipyard, on behalf of the ROC government.

"That was not a simple business transaction. I had to safeguard the state's interests from both the political and legal standpoints. From which, it is safe to say, that as well as offering regular legal services, Lee & Li is ready to help the government whenever needed. Since the three senior partners of Lee & Li are both lawyers and professors of law, we are well acquainted with both domestic and international law, qualifying us to provide certain extra services," Dr. Chen commented.

Keeping up with the times in 1980s Taiwan

Asked if legal attainments in Taiwan have kept pace with economic development, and to define the active role law should play in today's society, Dr. Chen further expounded:

"The law itself contains passive and active significance. Passively, it helps maintain social order, which brings fundamental stability to society. Active­ly, it must foresee trends in society and guide them along constructive courses.

"For instance, at present, some en­terprises are growing so large, that we must monitor the situation to determine if they are tending to monopolize trade. The government, in this connection, must bank on others' experiences for anti-trust law. Let's look at another of today's hot issues-commercial counter­feiting. Though sometimes a product's trademark, patent, or copyright are not infringed, the pirating is self-evident. Should we draft new law to specify the punishment? Or should we lay down unfair competition law?

"Therefore, we note that law is a re­quired ingredient of this complicated society. It must be able to reflect and govern current phenomena so as to lead us to a better world. To help law play a more active role in this society, the law-makers, social public, jurists, and admin­istrative institutions must be well-equipped to keep pace with social progress. In recent years, it has been evident that the progress of law and culture has failed to keep up with rapid economic development. How to fill the vacuum lies on the shoulders of all of us. The jurists must be able to comprehend social phenomena as well as economic and cultural developments. For instance, what are the multiple impacts of counterfeiting or trademark infringement on society? What should be the nature of anti-trust? What is the proper relationship between tycoons and the grass-roots?

"Therefore, I must admit that there is a lot of room for improvement. From this standpoint, I hope that every legal institution will have the opportunity to undergo the exposure to which Lee & Li has been subjected. After we know what's going on in a case, what the pros and cons are, what is one theory and what another—we can quickly arrive at a desirable conclusion."

He continued: "I must admit that some of the involved government employees are well-exposed. Since they are really in charge of certain significant ef­forts, it is important that they carry their tasks through. The important thing is that everything is moving forward, not back­ward. If there is a problem, it is at what pace. A snail's pace will assure that we lag further and further behind."

How to do good work in the legal jungle

When asked to indicate the necessary qualities of a good lawyer, Dr. Chen said in a whisper: "Like me." This reporter responded with laughter. "Ha! I mean it," he grinned "Technically, the words and language must be precise, concise, and clearly carried through. Substantial­ly, he must be able to know social phe­nomena. He must be able to understand the purposes of the promulgation ... the existence of law, of society, or of social progress, and, also, the relationship be­tween society and law. If he fails to understand such things, he will not be able to implement the law. You may have noticed that I keep repeating the word 'exposure,' which is very important for lawyers. Today, for instance, if a new law is promulgated, and you don't even understand what it Involves, and what are its phenomena, you will not possibly be able to apply the law to real life."

Dr. Chen glanced at the photos of his daughter, and fell into a pensive mood. "Education is important. The other day, my daughter complained to me that she hated chemistry and illustrat­ed her emotion with a question from a quiz: 'If oxidized manganese touches acid, will it turn red or blue?' I think that, today, we need a more living education than this. For example, now that many families own home computers, teachers may instruct students in how to run a computer. Or let's get to even more ordinary things, like the exact func­tioning of electric lamps. There is a lot to teach. Only in this way will our younger generation be able to fully develop their brains."

Indicating a pile of old newspapers and magazines stacked on his desk, Dr. Chen remarked: "I have had such a tight schedule that these papers have been left behind, unread. Now, I program myself to read newspapers first thing in the morning. Knowledge sometimes comes from newspapers. For example, I must note when the Chinese Communists draw a patent law and what is its content, which U.S. firm purchases another and its background, the conflicts among oil­-producing countries, and the reason why the price of oil is plummeting.

"In today's complicated world, what we have been exposed to is not enough, not at all. For instance, if you and I switched our positions now, I would wish that I had attended three years of law school before coming down here to write this article. But is it possible? I always tell journalism students that since they must cover everything, it is important that they know what's going on. Law stu­dents face an even harder task. They must be quick to answer questions, not only after they are asked, but beforehand. The lawyer must be able to advise his clients what to be aware of in advance, otherwise he is of no help, no use, but will degrade himself into a life­less tool."

Lee & Li on parade: Lining up the troops

Dr. Chen, with some pride, declares that Lee & Li is the first law firm to run its business like a well-equipped hospital. Attorney Roger R.F. Lin, 37, is the section chief of the firm's litigation depart­ment; he also picked up the hospital comparison. Though he did not join Lee & Li until two years ago, before joining, he lad intensive lawsuit experience in his own law firm. Why join Lee & Li instead of being his own boss? Roger Lin explained:

"Since legal services grow increasingly complicated with every passing jay, a really competent law firm first requires good partners. Lee & Li has accu­mulated unmatched 'capital'-good credibility, especially among foreign trad­ers, a long history, a just operation, a solid foundation of non-litigation ser­vices, and a justifiable litigation procedure. The non-litigation services include investment, trademark, patent, corporate, and banking, which are self-evident. The litigation department is a supporting unit. Though I could still handle a good case volume in my own law firm, my energy is limited.

"In this industrial society, everything points to division of labor. This goes for doctors as well, for example. In the past, a Chinese herbal medicine man would essay to cure practically every disease. Now, a large hospital is broken down into divisions of internal medicine, neu­rosurgery, cardiology, surgery, pediatrics, dentistry—as many as you can think of. A legal services firm is even more complicated than a hospital. Everything is involved. An individual's caliber and function are limited. In Lee & Li, I have learned much about teamwork."

Lin compared the litigation depart­ment to a fire brigade. "For instance, when foreign plants have investments here, it is certainly possible that they will run into contract disputes. Even after a company has been fully set up, conflicts may still occur. Lee & Li once helped a leading West German pharmaceutical factory to establish itself in Taiwan. Not long ago, the firm was suddenly ordered by a court not to sell any of its products here, because another party alleged that it was the sole authorized sales representative. That is the time for the litiga­tion 'fire department' to offer its services.

"With only a very few exceptions, the more than 20 foreign banks in Taiwan retain Lee & Li as their repre­sentative. A bank may run into a conflict with regulations of the Ministry of Fi­nance, for example, that are unfavorable to the banks; we must act in the bank's interest. Also, there are bank clients who fail to repay loans, or write bad checks. It goes without saying that we will be involved in trademark, patent, or copyright infringement cases."

The three senior partners reiterated the importance of management to Lee & Li. Dr. Paul Hsu said: "I want to make a computerized law firm." Dr. K.T. Li expounded: "It is fortunate that Lee & Li only has to preside over people, not ma­chines, equipment, facilities, or raw material; since all the staff of Lee & Li is highly educated, they always display self­-discipline. Under such circumstances, we don't have to manage them. We only have to lay down a system and let every staff member abide by its regulations.

"At present, we give everyone of our staff a time sheet. They record what cases they have received, what kind of research work has been done, how much time has been spent, and other details. This data will then be stored in our computer. From the computer, we can examine each person's performance.

"In our law firm, the establishment of a filing system is important because nothing is more precious for a law firm than the documents for each case study."

H.M. Li, chief of the information department added: "At present, records of 1,400 clients are stored in our comput­ers. If the clients for the trademark and patent department are added, the number may run to more than 10,000.

"Now we have purchased a micro-film processor to save filing room. Still as you can see, new files kept coming in. You must excuse us for this mess. What matters is, we quickly find needed documents."

E. T. and Apple: Ps&Qs of product protection

While Dr. Paul Hsu led us on an itinerant trip through the law firm, we encountered trademark assistant Judy Y.C. Chang, 33, in a corridor. She held an advertising design sheet featuring an E. T. playing a well-known brand of piano. She said: "Excuse me, Mr. Hsu. You were so busy that I couldn't reach you anywhere. 'X' piano company here wants to make an ad like this. Do you think it is okay to go?" "No. This is a definite infringement of copyright. We have to ask for permission."

In Judy Chang's office, a gallery of E.T.s crowded into what little room they could edge out from piles after piles of files. "At present, the copyright owner has issued licenses for 50 kinds of E. T. products. Since most of the original licensees are in the United States or other countries, the Taiwan firms can only be sub-licensees. The products of legal licensees have to conform to strict quality controls, enforced via a dozen inspection routines. Since Lee & Li is legal representative for the patent holders in Taiwan, we intend to turn in all counter­feiters to the courts once we are sure they will persist in transgressing the law."

She picked up a telephone and showed us its trademark. "I love to deal with commercial counterfeiting cases because trademarks are ubiquitous—even your garments, shoes, pens, and note­book have their own trademark. Three years ago, the Taiwan public's concept of trademarks was not very clear. Now, with the help of the mass media, they have been quicker to spot fakes. Since September, we have found more than 100 E. T. counterfeiters. Most have promised to stop," Judy said, looking critically at several E. T.s standing on her table.

L.C. Chou, 30, has been working at Lee & Li for six years. She is in charge of cases of Apple II infringement. "Japan is the first country in which imitations of Apple II computers were found. But in­stead of total plagiarism, the Japanese model featured some improvements. At that time, the U.S. interests did not pay much attention, because it was thought the Asia market was limited. I think local manufacturers should try to develop their own products instead of just copy others. If they are caught counterfeiting, they can be sentenced to five years of imprisonment under the newly revised trademark law."

When asked to add his views on the revised law, Dr. K.T. Li stated: "We must no longer bank on the excuse that developing countries are entitled to openly plagiarize others' products. After all, our pirating has proceeded from simple and crude products to such so­phisticated industrial products as the computer. We may also claim that Hongkong and Japan have counterfeiting prob­lems, but not so many. For instance, in Hongkong, most product pirating oc­curred in watches, computers, garments.

"Neither should we expect to escape punishment by claiming that we were ignorant of a certain trademark, though it is possible that some foreign buyers, suppliers themselves, are counterfei­ters."

Personnel: Women and the? of liberation

Traveling round the 600-ping (a ping is 36 sq. ft.) law firm, we discovered that female lawyers account for at least half of the total staff. Erika C.C. Chang, 32, obtained her LL.B. from National Taiwan University Law School, and MCLAP from George Washington University Law School. Before she joined Lee & Li two years go, she was admitted to the bar of Washington D.C. and engaged in legal work there. Comparing female lawyers in the ROC and the United States, she commented:

"Women here have long enjoyed high social status, even higher than in the United States. That is why we don't have a women's liberation movement here. We don't need it. Sometimes I did face sex discrimination in the States, but not here. I receive due respect. Women in Taiwan have always been independent. They can choose whatever careers they like. The status of women in Japan and Korea is much lower. I was once humiliated by some Japanese clients. They demanded that only male lawyers in Lee & Li reply to their letters. Believe it or not, the men of the Republic of China are the least chauvinistic."

Dr. Paul Hsu noted that Lee & Li, to maintain top international standards, re­cruits its staff from both at home and abroad.

Since law education must meet social needs and pace economic develop­ment, "we try to make Lee & Li a living example. Every summer and winter va­cation, some law students visit us for work-study programs. On the one hand, we can help them understand how we run a successful law firm. On the other, we can recruit the elite to join us after graduation."

On overseas offices, lawyer's status, goals

Lee & Li also is willing to take up some of the slack in countries with which the ROC does not have formal relations. With this ideal also in mind, Lee & Li set up a branch in San Francisco three years ago. Under the direction of Francis S.L. Wang, the branch now has a staff of 16. "Since we don't want it to become anoth­er Chinatown law firm, most attorneys there are Caucasians. Again, under the theory of total management, we run it with system, not with people. As a result, Lee & Li has become the first law firm founded by Chinese people in the U.S. Now we also have a liaison office in Paris and a branch office in Kaohsiung. We intend to expand to New York and other European countries in the coming ten years. This will be especially conven­ient for local commercial circles in hand­ling international affairs.

"I must especially point out here that our American resident staff in San Francisco is aware of our ideals. Also, though the Republic of China has no diplomatic ties with Brazil, the Bank of Brazil, which is a state bank in that coun­try, is willing to use a Taipei-based Amer­ican law firm as its representative. Since it is satisfied with our performance, it has introduced another import-export bank in Brazil to be our client."

Paul Hsu hopes the status of lawyers in Taiwan will rise in the near future. Considering Lee & Li's present operations, including studying statutes for the government, advanced corporate planning, advanced tax planning for local enterprises, and helping foreign traders to set up firms in the ROC, Hsu believes that law and lawyers will play increasingly vital roles in the ROC's future development.

On the walls of Paul Hsu's office hangs a citation from General Foods. Its comments on the role of the lawyer, perhaps, best characterize the goals at Lee & Li: "To study law's precision into its ex­tremity, to learn economic science's immensity, to gather wisdom and knowl­edge in a person, to educate talents in the world."