Experienced advocates with a practical and international perspective.

Christopher D. Lee is the founder and principal attorney of Elpis Law. He represents businesses, entrepreneurs, investors, executives, and individuals in complex commercial and civil litigation in California state and federal courts.

A significant part of Mr. Lee’s practice involves disputes where the parties do not enter the courtroom with equal resources. He has represented individuals and closely held businesses in litigation against public companies, multinational enterprises, institutional parties, and opponents represented by prominent national law firms. He has also defended clients against substantial claims brought by larger and better funded adversaries.

Mr. Lee’s experience is that the size of an opponent does not determine the strength of a case. Smaller businesses and individual clients can have substantial leverage when the facts, evidence, and law support their position and the case is litigated effectively.

His practice includes contract and fraud claims, shareholder and partnership disputes, breach of fiduciary duty, corporate control and governance disputes, trade secrets and unfair competition, real estate litigation, intellectual property disputes, and judgment enforcement. He represents both plaintiffs and defendants.

Mr. Lee has obtained multimillion dollar judgments, complete defense judgments and dismissals, and favorable results in contested trials and other proceedings. His experience includes litigation against public and multinational companies and parties represented by some of the country’s largest litigation firms. Selected examples of the firm’s work are available under Representative Matters.

Business and Cross-Border Experience

Mr. Lee’s business background also informs his litigation practice. He advises businesses and their owners on corporate governance, shareholder relationships, commercial transactions, and disputes involving ownership and control.

His practice frequently involves clients and matters connecting the United States and Asia. He has represented and advised public companies, multinational businesses, investors, entrepreneurs, and overseas counsel in U.S. litigation and business matters.

This experience is particularly relevant when a California dispute involves foreign parties, overseas witnesses or evidence, assets in multiple jurisdictions, or business arrangements developed outside the United States.

Mr. Lee practices in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese and works directly with clients in all three languages.

Sichen (Sarah) Wu is a partner at Elpis Law. Licensed in California and New York, and with legal training and admission experience in China, her practice combines family law, civil litigation, real estate disputes, and cross-border legal matters. Her background allows her to advise clients whose legal issues frequently involve multiple jurisdictions, languages, and business or family interests.

Ms. Wu represents clients in divorce, property characterization and division, marital agreements, and other complex family-law matters involving substantial financial assets and cross-border considerations. She also advises intended parents in domestic and international surrogacy and assisted-reproduction arrangements, preparing comprehensive agreements that address the legal, financial, and practical issues unique to modern family formation.

Her civil litigation practice includes business disputes, contract actions, quiet title and real estate litigation, ownership disputes, and other contested matters. She regularly manages discovery, depositions, motion practice, settlement negotiations, and trial preparation, providing clients with practical guidance throughout every stage of the litigation process. Her background as a California licensed real estate broker also provides valuable perspective in matters involving real property transactions, ownership, financing, and title issues.

Ms. Wu frequently represents clients whose legal matters extend beyond the United States. She works closely with businesses, investors, families, and professionals throughout the United States and Asia, helping clients navigate legal systems that often differ significantly in procedure, language, and commercial practice. Her fluency in Mandarin and familiarity with both U.S. and Chinese legal environments allow her to communicate directly with clients and coordinate efficiently with overseas professionals when cross-border issues arise.

Clients appreciate Ms. Wu’s thoughtful preparation, responsiveness, and practical approach to resolving difficult legal issues. Whether negotiating a carefully structured agreement or litigating a contested dispute, she focuses on protecting her clients’ interests while providing clear guidance during situations that are often legally and personally significant.

Li Keyi is a PRC-licensed attorney based in Shanghai whose practice focuses on corporate and commercial matters, investment transactions, business disputes, and cross-border matters involving China. Her work includes matters involving Chinese companies, investors, business interests, and assets that extend across multiple jurisdictions.

Her experience combines private legal practice with investment-side legal risk management. She has worked with government-guided funds and large private investment institutions on legal due diligence, transaction documentation, investment risk control, and post-investment management. This background gives her practical experience with both the structuring of commercial transactions and the disputes that may arise when investments or business relationships do not proceed as expected.

Ms. Li has also handled legal due diligence involving assets and transactions outside mainland China. In one overseas bank acquisition, her due diligence identified that the target bank’s operating qualifications and licenses had been revoked, resulting in an adjustment to the proposed transaction and helping the investor avoid potential losses.

Her cross-border experience includes matters involving companies, equity interests, real estate, bank accounts, and other assets located in different jurisdictions. She has worked directly with foreign counsel regarding local procedures, deadlines, documentation requirements, asset preservation, and enforcement issues.

Ms. Li also has experience in complex matrimonial and family-property matters involving substantial domestic and overseas assets. Her work has included disputes concerning company equity, investigation of concealed assets, real estate and other property located in different jurisdictions, child custody, and cross-border inheritance matters. In these cases, family-property issues may overlap with corporate ownership, financing arrangements, and governance, requiring careful analysis of how marital and family issues affect business interests and asset structures.

Her broader practice also includes family wealth planning, including arrangements involving ownership interests, spousal rights, insurance, trusts, and succession planning where business and family interests intersect.

Kirsty Lee is a trilingual paralegal who supports the firm’s litigation, transactional, and cross-border matters in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese. Born and raised in Hong Kong, she previously worked with an international conglomerate and the Hong Kong Judiciary. Her background in translation, business law, and court administration assists the firm in managing multilingual evidence, client communications, filings, and case preparation.