9 ASIAN LEGAL BUSINESS CHINA • 亚洲法律杂志-中国版 WWW.LEGALBUSINESSONLINE.COM/CHINA BROUGHT TO YOU BY GUANTAO LAW FIRM AND GALLANT 闫芃芃 Grace P Yan 观韬中茂香港办公室管理合伙人 yan@guantao.com 黄永昌 Philip Wong 何耀棣律师事务所主管合伙人 philipwong@gallantho.com Guantao Hong Kong Office and Gallant entered into association in Hong Kong on 1 April. ALB was briefed by Grace Yan, managing partner of Guantao HK, and Philip Wong, managing partner of Gallant. ALB: Please introduce Guantao Hong Kong Office and Gallant to us. Grace P Yan: Guantao Hong Kong was established in 2008. After three years’ association with Peter C. Wong, Chow & Chow, we were localized as a Hong Kong solicitor’s firm in February 2016 with the capacity to provide both Hong Kong SAR and Chinese law advice. Our practice areas include corporate finance, conveyancing, dispute resolution, company secretarial, China attesting and notary public. Philip Wong: Gallant was established in 1977 and is headquartered in Hong Kong. We are one of the largest and most well-established independent full service notable firms in Hong Kong. We are among the first batch of 12 law firms worldwide granted permission in 1992 by the Ministry of Justice of the PRC to set up a representative office in mainland China. We provide comprehensive legal services including banking and finance, mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, real estate and tenancy, arbitration and litigation, etc. ALB: What is the significance of the association? Grace P Yan: Following the signing of the “Strategic Alliance Agreement” between Guantao and Gallant previously, we kicked off a new chapter of our strategic co-operation. During the association, Mr. Philip Wong, senior partner of Gallant, will join Guantao HK as consultant and I will also join Gallant as consultant at the same time. The association will enhance our capability of providing cross-border one-stop legal services effectively and efficiently. With the support of Guantao network of 30 offices, we are confident that we will serve our clients’ need better. Philip Wong: The future market opportunities lie in the integration of mainland and Hong Kong. Through association, we can effectively integrate talents, knowledge, information and markets, thereby significantly improving our ability to provide coordinated services, expand our scope of business and enhance our responsiveness in satisfying the growing demand for cross-border legal services, especially in relation to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area business development. ALB: What are the specific cooperation plans? Philip Wong: Hong Kong has become a unique and successful crossroad of the East and West. Upon this heritage, along with mainland China’s continuing robust economic growth and rising demand for international business, forming an association with Guantao is an important strategic move. The primary goal is to assist quality clients in their cross-border, regional and international business growth, the success of which demands integrating resources, creating an amicable environment for our mainland lawyers to better understand the laws of Hong Kong as well as the Common Law, fostering better communication and trust between mainland clients and Hong Kong lawyers, and attracting talent and suitable technologies. We will establish a joint venture law firm within this region. Comprehensive training is necessary, including language proficiency, cultural understanding, global perspectives, compliance considerations and jurisdictional issues. Grace P Yan: We will combine our legal talents in Mainland China and Hong Kong with common law and civil law qualifications and experience, coupled with the language and culture advantages. We will deepen our cooperation in the areas of cross-border dispute resolution, wealth management, investment and M&A, cross-border compliance and regulatory matters, etc. to serve our domestic and overseas clients better. 观韬香港与何耀棣联营： 有效整合，提升跨境服务能力 Guantao Hong Kong joins hands with Gallant, eyeing to enhance cross-border services with effective integration 4月1日，观韬中茂律师事务所香港办公室与何耀棣律师事务所宣 布在香港开启联营，迈入战略合作新阶段。观韬中茂香港办公室管 理合伙人闫芃芃律师、何耀棣律师事务所主管合伙人黄永昌律师 向ALB介绍了相关情况。 ALB：请介绍一下观韬中茂香港办公室、何耀棣律师事务所的整体 情况。 闫芃芃律师：观韬香港成立于2008年，经过与王泽长•周淑娴•周永 健律师行三年的联营，于2016年2月完成本地化，可同时提供香港 法及中国法的法律服务，涵盖公司业务、纠纷解决、房地产、公司设 立及秘书服务、国际公证、中国委托公证等。 黄永昌律师：何耀棣律师事务所成立于1977年，总行位于香港，是 香港最具规模及最为人熟悉的独立华资律师事务所之一，是全球 首批获中国司法部授权于1992年在中国内地设立代表处的12间 境外律师事务所之一，提供银行金融、商业并购、资本市场、房地 产、仲裁诉讼、破产重组、知识产权等法律服务。 ALB：此次“牵手”联营有何重大意义？ 闫芃芃律师：观韬香港与何耀棣于2024年4月1日起在香港联营， 这是继早前观韬中茂与何耀棣签署了《战略联盟协议》后，双方开 启的战略合作新阶段。联营期间何耀棣的主管合伙人黄永昌律师 加入观韬香港担任顾问律师，我亦同时加入何耀棣担任顾问律师。 联营将大大提升我们提供一站式、优质、高效的跨境法律服务能 力。借助观韬境内外共30间办公室的网络平台，相信我们将会更好 地服务客户日益增长的跨境业务需求。 黄永昌律师：未来的市场发展机遇是中港融合，这是不可逆转的大 势所趋，也是我们的国家政策，通过与观韬联营的机遇，我们能把 中港两地人才、知识、信息和市场更有效整合，大力提升我们提供 中国内地与香港法服务的联动力、业务领域及回馈速度，更好地服 务日益增长的跨境法律服务需求，特别是有关粤港澳大湾区业务 的发展。 ALB：联营后，具体有哪些合作规划？ 黄永昌律师：凭籍香港得天独厚的中西文化优势，加上中国内地经 济长期高速发展的势头，及内地对跨境、国际及区域业务发展的殷 切需求，与观韬联营后我们将大力发展中国香港国际现代化的大 战略，全方位协助内地优质客户参与跨境、国际和区域上的业务发 展。我们将加快香港与观韬内地各办公室的融合与协调，加深内地 律师对香港法律及普通法的进一步认识，加强内地客户与香港律 师的专业沟通与信任，全面吸引专业人才和科技。我们亦会同时更 好使用粤港澳大湾区带来的机遇与政策红利，在大湾区内成立合 伙联营办公室，把中港两地律师的专业、营运及工作在同一办公室 内紧密结合，优势互补。这将涉及多方面的培训，包括语言、文化、 视野、合规、司法管辖等各领域。 闫芃芃律师：借助在香港联营，我们将汇聚中港两地的优秀法律人 才，兼具普通法及大陆法系国家和地区的执业资格及经验，以及语 言和文化的融合优势，我们将会在跨境纠纷解决、财富管理、投资 并购、跨境合规监管等诸多的业务领域深化合作，更好地服务我们 双方境内外的客户。
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