Agreement Entered between Deheng Law Group and All China Environment Federation (ACEF) to Transfer Rights Safeguarding Work on Bohai Bay Oil Spill Accident

On September 23 Lu Keqin, consultant of the Secretary General of ACEF, Director Ma Yong of the Department of Litigation and Rights Safe Guarding and Director Li Qing of the Editorial Department of ACEF visited Beijing DHH Law Firm. They expressed their thanks to Deheng lawyers who have made outstanding contributions to the work of rights safeguarding in the Bohai Bay pollution accident.

During the visit Mr. Lu was highly complimentary about the spontaneous activities of Deheng lawyers. He described Deheng Law Group as having social responsibility, quality practice and public love. He encouraged the lawyers to keep contributing to environmental protection and the building of a beautiful China, laying top priority on national interests, the rule of law, equality and justice.

On behalf of the ACEF Mr Lu accepted “the Compilation of Reports on the Oil Spill Accident of Penglai 19-3 Oilfield in Bohai Bay of China & Documents on the Pro Bono Claiming Activities by Deheng Law Group (2011.6---2013.9)”. Afterwards Mr. Lu signed the Agreement on Cooperation in Environmental Rights Safeguarding with Luan Shaohu, the Chairman of the Partners’ Meeting of Deheng Law Group.

Mr. Luan said :“The well-know poet of the Song Dynasty once said ‘Humble as my status, I still dare not to forget to feel concerned about my country!’. The two firms under Deheng Law Group, Shandong Deheng Law Firm and Beijing DHH Law Firm, both take the pursuance of equality and justice, and the performance of social responsibility, as their internal momentum for development.”

“Upon our 10th anniversary in 2002, on behalf of three senior school students from Qingdao, we launched a suit against the National Ministry of Education against inequality in the college entrance system. That case to a great extent promoted the reform of China’s college entrance system. This year, on the forthoming 20th anniversary of our Group, we spontaneously launched the pro bono activity “Save Bohai Bay & Protect Fishermen”. From February to September this year over 50 lawyers of Deheng Law Firm participated in the claim for Bohai Bay Oil Spill Pollution by ConocoPhillips. In total this took more than 5000 work hours. We raised more than 850 thousand Yuan for this activity from the Group’s pro bono assistance fund and the partners’ profit pool. However, upon summing up the outstanding work of these lawyers we hardly feel any satisfaction and joy. On the contrary, we feel heavy-hearted. Due to financial pressure and other considerations Deheng Law Group has to ‘retreat from the front’ temporarily. In future, except for participating in environmental rights safeguarding activities organized and led by the ACEF, Deheng Law Group will launch no more environmental rights safeguarding action in respect of the Bohai Bay oil spill pollution. The Group will continue the lawsuits which have been filed claiming for losses by fishermen but other work involving the ecological restoration and protection of Bohai Bay and the investigation into the criminal and administrative liabilities of the accident will be transferred to the ACEF.”

Chairman Luan expressed his thanks to media reporters, scholars, experts and environmentalists who had supported and assisted Deheng Law Group.  

According to lawyer Liu Kejiang, the Executive Director of Beijing DHH Law Firm and the Director of International Practice of Deheng Law Group, the claim by more than 300 fishermen from Shandong Province and Tianjin to claim for losses would be valid. While the lawyers handling these cases are waiting for the trials in Maritime Courts in Qingdao and Tianjin, the overseas offices of Deheng Law Group in Washington D.C., Seoul and Tokyo have embarked on preparatory work for filing lawsuits abroad. Lawyers Wang Haijun, Ji Cheng and Xu Hongliang expressed their determination to keep assisting the ACEF in all rights safeguarding work.