omniture

The Legal Side of the Beijing Olympic Games

Lehman, Lee & Xu
2008-09-02 19:42 3817

BEIJING, Sept. 3 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- The talk leading up to the 2008 Olympic Games was heard all over the world. But nowhere was the excitement and hype more evident than here in Beijing, the host city itself. Of course it would be difficult to miss the signs placed throughout the city advertising the games, or the countless volunteers stationed everywhere. In addition actually going to the events and seeing the venues allowed locals and visitors alike to truly feel the spirit of the Olympics. However, these elements only comprise the outer layer of the momentous Games and for Beijing’s residents, it’s the behind-the-scenes action that affects them the most.

Yet, as the Beijing Olympic Games concluded with a perfectly choreographed closing ceremony in the Bird’s Nest on Sunday night, a country was left with memories that will no doubt last a lifetime. There were world records, gold medals, heartache, elation and most of all, a tremendous spirit of Olympic Unity. Now that the Games have come to an end, those involved behind the scenes have a welcome rest period; from organizers to journalists and choreographers to security personnel are all are looking forward to a well deserved rest. Well, all of those involved behind the scenes, with the exception of the lawyers, that is.

“The last few months have certainly been our busiest yet. To say we were rushed off our feet would definitely be an understatement. The nature of our business dictates that we’ll be busy with Olympic related matters for many months to come” states Edward Lehman, Managing Director of Lehman, Lee & Xu, a Chinese law firm involved in many aspects of the Games; from advising on labor and immigration issues to ambush marketing, Lehman Lee & Xu has employed a definite “hands on” approach to the Olympic Games. The firm is not a newcomer to the Sports law field though, having been involved at the grass roots in sports in Beijing since the 1990s. “I served as the first chief representative of Sports Beijing; an organization designed to encourage sports in Beijing’s schools” notes Ed, a resident of China for 21 years.

“Traditionally the Olympic Period is a quiet one for most law firms as businesspeople tend to postpone trips until the Games are over -- I know that Sydney and Athens saw a definite lull in business activity in the run up to the Games in 2000 and 2004.” This has not been the case in Beijing however, at least not for Lehman, Lee & Xu -- “From numerous embassy meetings to Olympic Presentations to a carefully planned standby schedule for our attorneys, it’s been really hectic.” However, just like the city of Beijing, the firm took careful measures to remain prepared and poised during the busy time.

Yet it is not the endless meetings or frantic schedule that Ed Lehman will remember the most about the Olympics. Rather, Ed’s most lasting memory will be seeing Michael Phelps clinch his eighth gold medal in the Water cube. “While it was certainly an honor representing the United States Olympic Committee, the greatest honor of all was seeing the look on his face as he won that eighth gold -- that for me has made the last seven years of anticipation worth it.” Michael Phelps aside though Ed also has tremendous respect for China’s athletes, “From watching Zou Kai win his 3 gold medals for gymnastics to seeing Chen Xiexia clinch China’s first gold for weightlifting, seeing so many amazing athletes was a really humbling experience.”

In order to keep the firm working well together as a strong team, Mr. Lehman firmly believes in rewarding his employees for their hard work. For example, Mr. Lehman provided all of his staff members with tickets to the athletics events in the Bird’s Nest and gave them a chance to see history. The staff members were able to cheer on their respective nations while coming together as a coherent group, much like a successful relay team. “It was amazing to see everyone enjoying themselves outside of the office setting. In particular, it was great to see the Chinese staff have so much pride in their country.”

In this regard Lehman, Lee & Xu’s attorneys had a particularly unique insight into the games; from attending at the birds nest and water cube and seeing the athletes in action to being involved sending cease and desist letters to patent infringers, meeting the athletes at specially designed legal seminars to dealing with criminal matters. “Our people definitely have an interesting perspective on the Games; having been so closely involved with the legal side of things.”

Lehman, Lee & Xu’s attorneys had a strict standby schedule during the games. “We were available 24 hours a day in the event our services were necessary, through agreements we had with a number of Olympic delegations and embassies. I’d love to say our services weren’t needed but unfortunately that was not the case.” On several occasions, Lehman, Lee & Xu’s attorneys were called upon to provide legal assistance to foreign nationals. “There were a couple of 3am phone calls from embassy officials. Although the Olympics have brought some hectic days and restless nights we learned a lot and were able to help out a lot of people. From a personal perspective it couldn’t be more rewarding and we can really claim victory in this regard.”

When asked if he has any advice for the London firms involved in the 2012 Summer Olympics, Ed simply smiled and said, “Enjoy every moment of it; having the Olympics in your city really is a once in a life time experience.”

Source: Lehman, Lee & Xu
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