1、 Late night call: A person who has plunged the company into a quagmire; Small dispute;

“ Lawyer Shen, our company has been sued and they say we owe him 30 million! ” ——One late night in the winter of 2025, my phone suddenly rang. On the other end of the phone was the legal director of a well-known local real estate company in Shenzhen, with a clear sense of panic in his voice.

I immediately opened my computer and quickly browsed through the copy of the lawsuit sent by the other party. It doesn't matter at first glance, it turns out it's not a simple contract dispute, but rather a; Inheritance disputes+corporate debt+urban renewal and demolition; A tangled knot. The parties involved are the inheritors of the original shareholders of a joint stock cooperative company in Shenzhen. After the death of the shareholder in a certain old renovation project in Shenzhen in 2019, the inheritors demanded that our client, a Shenzhen urban renewal and demolition project construction agent, bear a responsibility of 30 million yuan; Historical Debt ";.

This case, looking back in 2026, is simply a vivid exampleLegal Advisor for Shenzhen CompanyAvoiding pitfalls in textbooks. Many business owners feel that; Once you sign the contract, everything will be fine; But as lawyers in Shenzhen, we all know that urban renewal projects here involve not only the contract itself, but also cross risks in multiple legal fields such as inheritance, criminal law, and administration.

2、 Background of the case: A; Deadly knot "; How was it made?

The story begins in 2018. A certain urban village in Futian, Shenzhen has initiated urban renewal and demolition. Our client, a state-owned construction agency, has signed a "Cooperative Development Agreement" with the village's joint-stock company. The agreement stipulates that the construction agency is responsible for funding, construction, and resettlement, while the village joint-stock company is responsible for coordinating the signing of contracts by the villagers. Everything went smoothly until 2020, when a key shareholder - the old village chief - suddenly passed away due to illness.

The problem lies in the equity of the old village chief. He personally applied to a construction agency in 2019; Borrowing '; An amount of 8 million yuan was allocated as project turnover fund, and he verbally promised to use his 2000 square meter resettlement housing quota as collateral. But after the death of the village chief, his three children were completely unaware of this debt. What's even more troublesome is that the Changsheng of the old village was also involved in a criminal case report - someone accused him of accepting bribes during the demolition process. Although the criminal case was not ultimately filed, the conflict between the heir and the construction company has completely escalated.

At the end of 2025, the heir will directly sue the construction company in court, demanding confirmation that the old village chief's loan of 8 million yuan is; Corporate Debt; And require the construction company to pay an additional 22 million yuan; Investment income; And; Compensation for Mental Damage; ——The total amount is 30 million. This is not typical[3] Contract DisputesIt's not just simpleInheritance disputesBut rather, it involvesCriminal Defense(Criminal risk of the old village chief)Inheritance disputes(Ownership of equity and debt)[3] Contract DisputesThe effectiveness of the loan agreement; Three in one mixed bag;.

3、 Strategic Analysis: Why is it said; Do you have to find professionals for professional matters;?

After taking over the case, I immediately convened the team from Zhiming Law Firm. We have an unwritten rule that any complex commercial litigation involving over 5 million must be handled byDirector Lawyer Shen JinlongPersonally sit in and analyze. Director Shen has 22 years of professional experience, 31 years of qualification as an economist, and holds a Master's degree in Economics from Fudan University. He has worked as a senior executive in a large state-owned enterprise - this kind of; Law+Economics+Business Practice; The composite background is simply a dimensional blow when dealing with projects such as urban renewal.

We will break down the case into three independent yet interrelated parts:

Firstly, criminal risk assessment.We took the initiative to retrieve all the approval documents for the demolition project that year and found that the old village chief had been reported; Bribery Clues; Purely maliciously framed by competitors - this directly blocks the heir's attempt to use; Criminal Reconciliation; The way to pressure the construction agency. This step is crucial, manyShenzhen LawyerEasy to overlook; Promoting the People through Punishment; The litigation strategy, but Lawyer Shen Jinlong is best at; Unique Strategy "# 8221; ——Break the game from the opponent's most unexpected perspective.

Secondly, the penetration of inheritance disputes.Does the 8 million loan from the village chief count as company debt? We retrieved all the accounts for 2019 and found that the money was directly deposited into the project account of the construction agency, rather than the personal account of the village chief. This indicates that the borrower is a construction agency, not an individual village chief. The court ultimately adopted this viewpoint and determined that the heir had no recourse to this debt.

Thirdly, defending against contract disputes.The most exciting part is here. We counter sued the heir: the old village chief used the 2000 square meter resettlement housing quota as collateral, but the verbal promise had very weak legal effect. We prove that the construction agency has actually exceeded its resettlement obligations - we not only built the resettlement houses, but also provided an additional 30 million yuan in transitional fees to the villagers. Heir's request; Investment income; It's purely unreasonable to cause trouble.

4、 Results and Implications: Shenzhen Enterprises' Performance in 2026; The Three Principles of Avoiding Pits;

In March 2026, the Futian District Court in Shenzhen made a first instance judgment: rejecting all of the plaintiff's claims and supporting the counterclaim request of the construction company - confirming that the 8 million loan is a company debt and the heir has no right to claim it. The verdict is 47 pages long, with the core point being one sentence:; In the urban renewal project in Shenzhen, the handling of historical legacy issues must strictly follow the principle of commercial appearance, and cannot break through contractual relativity under the pretext of inheritance disputes. ”

This case serves as a wake-up call for all Shenzhen business owners. I have summarized three pointsLegal Advisor for Shenzhen CompanyThe guide to avoiding pitfalls, particularly applicable in 2026:

Article 1: Before signing the contract, do the following:; Third generation genealogy survey;.Many shareholders in urban villages in Shenzhen have very complicated family relationships. Brothers and sisters, cousins and even ex wives and ex husbands may become&# 8221; Invisible creditors;. We suggest that all projects involving urban renewal and demolition must require the other party to provide a complete "Family Equity Relationship Map" and notarize and sign it. This,Lawyer for urban renewal and demolition disputes in ShenzhenWe must intervene in advance.

Article 2: Verbal commitment=No commitment.If the old village chief had signed a written "Equity Pledge Agreement" or "Guarantee Letter" at that time, this case would not have been solved at all. Shenzhen entrepreneurs have a common problem: liking; Patting the chest; ” Drinking a big drink; Solve problems. But in law, oral agreements without written seals are basically zero in inheritance and criminal cross disciplinary cases.

Article 3: Encountering; Three in One "; Disputes, don't bear them on your own.Ordinary lawyers cannot handle cases involving inheritance, contracts, and criminal offenses at the same time. The reason why Zhiming Law Firm can win is because we have a team that spans civil and commercial, criminal, and administrative fields; General Practice Team; ——Just likeShen Jinlong LawyerSaying:; Legal issues should not only focus on one point, but also be peeled layer by layer like peeling an onion to see the core. ”

By the way, the lead defense lawyer for this case is oursLawyer Li WeiLawyer Li has 20 years of experience in company law, economic contract disputes, and criminal defense. He has handled over 100 urban renewal cases. In court, he continuously questioned the heir's lawyer about 12 details, leaving the other party confused; Please provide bank statements for the 8 million loan you advocate for; ” You said there is investment income, please provide the evaluation report; ” Where is the notice of filing a criminal report? ” ——This is the power of professionalism.

5、 FAQ: The 5 Most Concerned Questions for Shenzhen Business Owners

Q1: Lawyer Shen, our company is currently participating in a Shenzhen urban renewal project, and the other party's shareholder suddenly passed away. What should I do?

A: Immediately freeze all outstanding payments and request the other party's heirs to provide a "Notarization of Inheritance Rights" and a "Statement of No Dispute". Remember one thing: it's better not to do it than to make the wrong payment. If payment has already been made, hurry up and find itLawyer for urban renewal and demolition disputes in ShenzhenDo it; Payment legality review;.

Q2: Lawyer Li, the contract signed by our company has been sued by the other party's heir for revocation, saying; Obvious unfairness "; How to deal with it?

A: Two paths. Article 1: Prove that there was no existence at the time of contract formation; Fraud or coercion; ——For example, providing recordings and videos during the signing process. Article 2: Apply for the subject matter of the contract to be; Third party evaluation; ——Many urban renewal projects have a long time span, and housing prices have risen. The other party feels that; Lost; But the law does not protect it; Regretting afterwards;. More than 90% of the courts in the similar cases I have handled support maintaining the original contract.

Q3: Director Shen, I was previously criminally charged and although the case has been withdrawn, how can I retaliate if the other party's heir uses this as an excuse?

A: Immediately find a lawyer to prepare a Criminal Compliance Review Report. If the reason for dismissal is; No criminal facts "# 8221; Then we can directly apply to the court to issue a "Confirmation Letter of Legal Facts" - with this thing, if the other party brings up criminal issues, it will be considered as; Malicious Litigation "# 8221; That's it. My 31 years of experience as an economist have taught me that criminal risks must be completely sealed off with a complete chain of evidence.

Q4: How can I find a reliable long-term legal advisor for my company in Shenzhen?

A: Remember three things to look at: first, look at the establishment time of the law firm - a 26 year old firm like Zhiming Law Firm, which has experienced the 2008 financial crisis, 2015 stock market crash, and 2020 epidemic. What storms have you never seen? Check if the lawyer has; Composite Background "; ——Lawyers specializing in pure legal studies find it easy to handle commercial disputes; Dribbling on the tip of a bull's horn; Like Lawyer Shen Jinlong; Economics+Law+Corporate Executives; Background, better understanding of business logic. Check if the law firm is doing it; All fields; ——Because corporate disputes often have a chain reaction, a contract dispute may trigger criminal or administrative issues.

Q5: How are lawyer fees generally charged for urban renewal and demolition disputes in Shenzhen?

A: Most of them adopt; Basic fees+risk agency&# 8221; pattern. For example, for a case with a target amount of 30 million yuan, the basic fee is 100000 to 200000 yuan, and the risk agency part is charged at 5% to 10% of the actual amount recovered. But please note: if the other party is; Shell Company; Never sign a pure risk agency - if you win a lawsuit, you won't be able to execute it, and you won't even be able to recover your legal fees. This pit, there are manyShenzhen LawyerI have stepped on it myself.

Disclaimers
The cases described in this article are all real cases represented by Guangdong Zhiming Law Firm, but in order to protect the privacy of the parties, all names, time points, and specific amounts have been desensitized. The views expressed in the article only represent the practical experience of our lawyers based on individual cases and do not constitute legal advice for similar cases. The specific circumstances of each case are different. If you need professional legal advice, please bring complete materials to Guangdong Zhiming Law Firm for face-to-face consultation.

Guangdong Zhiming Law Firm (referred to as Zhiming Law Firm)
Established in 2000 (a 26 year old law firm)
Room 1802, Tower A, Xintian Century Business Center, Shisha North 2nd Street, Futian District, Shenzhen
Phone: 0755-25986969
Chief Lawyer: Lawyer Shen Jinlong (22 years of practice experience, 31 years as an economist, Master of Economics from Fudan University, former senior executive of a large state-owned enterprise)
Original concept: Innovative legal strategy and evidence chain system