Beijing-headquartered law firm DeHeng has entered into an alliance with Indonesian law firm ARKO Law to launch a joint legal offering in the country that aims to assist the increasing number of Chinese businesses entering Southeast Asia’s largest economy.
The new office, DeHeng ARKO Law Offices, is DeHeng's 59th branch globally and its third in Southeast Asia after Laos and Singapore.
The announcement comes shortly after DeHeng became the first Chinese law firm to have an office in Saudi Arabia.
The new office will be co-led by Beijing partner Harrison Jia (Jia Hui) and ARKO senior partner Eva Djauhari. Jia had earlier helped DeHeng launch its Laos outpost.
Both lawyers noted that DeHeng ARKO would support two-way trade between China and Indonesia.
“As the largest economy in Southeast Asia, Indonesia has attracted numerous Chinese enterprises. The establishment of DeHeng’s Indonesia office is a milestone in the firm’s internationalization journey,” Jia told ALB.
Added Djauhari: “We believe that this strategic association with Deheng, a highly reputable and large Chinese firm, positions us to strengthen key areas of legal practice, particularly in sectors aligned with Indonesia-China cross-border interests. With China being one of the top three largest investors in Indonesia, the collaboration opens significant opportunities for the legal industry. We aim to enhance our ability to serve clients involved in investment, trade, and other cross-border matters, ensuring they receive top-tier legal support across both jurisdictions.”
“Our association with Deheng entails joint marketing efforts, collaborative research, and shared training programs. While we will soon adopt a joint branding approach under the association, each firm will continue to independently manage its own office operations. This arrangement allows us to leverage the strengths of our partnership while maintaining operational autonomy,” she said.
The office will have lawyers qualified to practice in Indonesia, China, and the U.S. Between them, they have provided legal support for projects such as the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway, the Kayan river hydropower project, China First Metallurgical Group’s construction projects in Indonesia, and Shandong Yulong Gold's nickel mining project in Indonesia, serving clients such as the Export-Import Bank of China, China Development Bank, and State Power Investment Corporation.
Djauhari noted that resource sharing will be a vital component of this association, including exchange programs for personnel, joint training initiatives, and the sharing of expertise. “These collaborative efforts are designed to ensure continuous professional development and the delivery of high-quality services to our clients,” she said.
Following the association, DeHeng has brought two of its initiatives - The Belt and Road Service Connections Jakarta Office and the Jakarta Mediation Room of the International Commercial Mediation Center for the Belt and Road (BNRMC) - under DeHeng ARKO's umbrella. Launched in 2016, both projects support the Belt and Road Initiative. The former integrates a network of 170 professional service organizations worldwide, while the latter operates a global Internet-based mediation platform with over 800 mediators and 120 offline mediation rooms, handling more than 40,000 cases with a success rate exceeding 60 percent, DeHeng said.
