Baker & McKenzie and Beijing-based FenXun Partners have won approval for the first joint office in the Shanghai free trade zone to advise clients on both international and Chinese law.
Bakers is no stranger to the region having opened an office in Beijing in 1993 and an office in Shanghai since 2003. However, the announcement with FenXun means that Bakers now has permission to practise domestic local law in China. The tie-up by Bakers is hot on the heels of the creation of the world’s largest law firm by number of lawyers when Dentons and Beijing’s Dacheng Law Offices merged in January to create a truly massive 6,000 lawyer firm. Bakers' global army lines up at 4,200 lawyers.
In China, Bakers now boasts 300 lawyers across Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. Danian Zhang, Baker & McKenzie's Chief Representative in Shanghai said they were pleased to be "the very first firm" to be granted approval for Joint Operation by the Shanghai Bureau of Justice. Eduardo Leite, Chairman of Baker & McKenzie's Executive Committee reiterated that Bakers are "the first and only firm to be approved" just in case Dentons weren't listening the first time round.
While it has been a concern for others, both firms have clearly managed to come to terms with the fact that lawyers in China are compelled to swear an oath of allegiance to the Communist party - and with the lingering doubts over whether the Chinese security services will respect the confidentiality of information of international clients.
Tip Off ROF
Bakers is no stranger to the region having opened an office in Beijing in 1993 and an office in Shanghai since 2003. However, the announcement with FenXun means that Bakers now has permission to practise domestic local law in China. The tie-up by Bakers is hot on the heels of the creation of the world’s largest law firm by number of lawyers when Dentons and Beijing’s Dacheng Law Offices merged in January to create a truly massive 6,000 lawyer firm. Bakers' global army lines up at 4,200 lawyers.
In China, Bakers now boasts 300 lawyers across Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. Danian Zhang, Baker & McKenzie's Chief Representative in Shanghai said they were pleased to be "the very first firm" to be granted approval for Joint Operation by the Shanghai Bureau of Justice. Eduardo Leite, Chairman of Baker & McKenzie's Executive Committee reiterated that Bakers are "the first and only firm to be approved" just in case Dentons weren't listening the first time round.
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The two armies of Bakers and Dentons meet in China. How it might look. |
While it has been a concern for others, both firms have clearly managed to come to terms with the fact that lawyers in China are compelled to swear an oath of allegiance to the Communist party - and with the lingering doubts over whether the Chinese security services will respect the confidentiality of information of international clients.
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