Recently, associate Ma Zhongchen from Dentons Shanghai office was engaged by the Shanghai Football Association (SFA) to serve as the standing legal counsel. Mr. Ma has obtained the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) A-level Coaching License and possesses the cross-disciplinary knowledge of sports and law. He will provide a full scope legal assistance for the SFA, including legal advices on sports policies and regulations, internationalization, standardization, professional management and risk control, in accordance with the requirements of the Overall Plan for Chinese Football Reform and Development and the central government's demand of decoupling industry associations from government agencies.