Strategic legal counsel for Sino matters
SSG Lawyers provides considered, commercially aware legal advice for businesses, founders and investors navigating corporate, commercial and cross-border matters.
About Us
SSG Lawyers is a family-owned, cross-border law firm with offices in Melbourne and Shanghai, supported by our consultants in London and Hong Kong. Led by two generations of legal professionals, we bring more than 40 years of combined experience advising clients across the Australian and Chinese markets.
We specialise in advising medium to large enterprises, investors, and high-net-worth individuals and families on domestic and cross-border transactions, foreign investment, regulatory compliance, corporate structuring, complex commercial arrangements, and taxation matters. Our dual-market expertise enables us to bridge legal systems, commercial expectations, and cultural nuances with clarity, precision, and practical insight.
Over the years, we have developed long-standing relationships with leading law firms and professional advisers across the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, the European Union, Hong Kong SAR and other key and emerging markets. This extensive international network enables us to coordinate complex, multi-jurisdictional matters efficiently and deliver commercially focused, pragmatic and seamless legal solutions.
For clients navigating Sino–Australian and broader international business and investment matters, SSG Lawyers is a trusted strategic partner. We provide more than legal advice, we deliver clarity, structure, and confidence to help our clients achieve their commercial objectives.
Global Presence
Melbourne
Shanghai
Hong Kong
London
Our Team
Jo Mao
Jo Mao is a multinational corporate and commercial lawyer with over a decade of experience advising clients across Australia and China. Having worked at top-tier international law firms and leading domestic firms in both jurisdictions, Jo brings a sophisticated understanding of cross-border transactions, regulatory frameworks and complex commercial structures.
He regularly advises Chinese and international clients, including Fortune 500 companies, state-owned enterprises, private equity funds and high-net-worth individuals, on mergers and acquisitions, foreign direct investment, capital raising, corporate restructuring and shareholder disputes.
Jo’s approach combines technical precision with commercial practicality, ensuring that transactions are structured not only to comply with regulatory requirements, but to achieve long-term strategic outcomes.
Representative matters include advising:
Guoping Mao
Mr. Guoping Mao is the co-founder and managing partner of Shanghai Shen Guang Law Office and brings over 30 years of experience in the Chinese legal market. His practice focuses on corporate and commercial law and complex dispute resolution. Since the early 1990s, Mr. Mao has advised numerous foreign-invested enterprises and multinational corporations operating in China, developing extensive experience in cross-border regulatory and commercial matters.
He has represented clients in a number of high-profile commercial disputes and has been recognised at the national level as an “Outstanding Individual” by the Ministry of Justice of the People’s Republic of China in acknowledgment of his significant contribution to the development of legal practice and social justice.
Rhea Yu
Rhea is qualified in both the People’s Republic of China and England & Wales.
Having been trained with a US firm at the beginning of her career, Rhea has had a broad exposure to international clients. Her practice areas include corporate and commercial law, cross-border investment and mergers & acquisitions, dispute resolution, and comprehensive corporate compliance matters covering labour and employment, intellectual property, cybersecurity, ESG, and more. She has served clients in various industries such as oil and gas energy, advanced technology, fashion and fast-moving consumer goods, manufacturing, education, and healthcare.
With practical experience in complex cross-border transactions and a deep understanding of cutting-edge technologies, including artificial intelligence, as well as innovative business models, she provides legal services that are highly aligned with her clients' business needs and remain at the forefront of industry trends.
Our Services
At SSG Lawyers, we provide strategic corporate and commercial legal advice to businesses, investors and entrepreneurs operating across Australia and China and beyond. Our expertise spans the entire business lifecycle—from market entry, corporate structuring and regulatory compliance, through growth, acquisitions, financing and strategic investments, to business succession and exit.
Our core practice areas include:
Cross-Border Investment & Market Entry
• Outbound and inbound direct investment between the PRC and Australia
• Foreign investment structuring and regulatory compliance
• Market entry strategy and establishment of foreign-invested entities
• International trade advisory
Corporate Transactions & Structuring
• Mergers and acquisitions (M&A)
• Private equity and venture capital investments (PE/VC)
• Capital raising and shareholder arrangements
• Sale and acquisition of assets and businesses
• Corporate structuring and restructuring
• Joint ventures and strategic partnerships
Corporate Governance & Commercial Advisory
• Incorporation and corporate establishment
• Corporate governance advisory
• Joint ventures and strategic partnerships
• General commercial contracts
• Intellectual property protection and commercialisation
• Employee share option plans (ESOP)
Strategic legal counsel for cross-border business, corporate matters and transactions.
Address
Melbourne: Level 3/489 Toorak Rd, Toorak VIC 3142
Shanghai: Level 6/97 Xiangyang North Road, Shanghai
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