19 Asian Legal Business | December 2024 Law firm management complexity of cross-border projects while seamlessly fitting into Haiwen’s integrated platform. For example, in 2022, Haiwen brought on Su Hao, a former partner at Morgan Lewis. Su is a legal expert in outbound investment, Belt and Road projects, and energy ventures, with extensive experience assisting Chinese energy enterprises in international expansion and project development. Over the past two years, Haiwen also added Eric Liu and Huang Benran from Linklaters’ joint operation firm Zhao Sheng. Both specialize in cross-border investment for Chinese companies, reflecting the growing market demand for internationalized legal expertise. Another approach leverages Haiwen’s integrated structure to recruit partners in niche fields. Last year, Haiwen welcomed Hallam Chow and Shen Boya, industry leaders in syndicated loans and project finance, previously with Mayer Brown JSM. “Haiwen traditionally focused on transaction counsel work, but in recent years, more projects have required financing solutions. This includes private equity deals sponsored by Chinese firms and outbound projects by Chinese enterprises. The project finance lawyer circle is small, but after joining Haiwen, these two partners quickly developed strong synergies with our existing teams, significantly boosting our overall capabilities and client satisfaction.” A similar example is Yuan Shuaiqi, an expert in export controls and sanctions, who also joined Haiwen recently. Han Kun also tells ALB that lateral hires from international firms are evaluated based on client needs and future business trends. “With international firms adjusting their China strategies, we can step into areas like overseas IPOs, cross-border M&A, outbound investments, and acquisition financing. Bringing in key lawyers from these firms allows us to integrate clients, services, and teams, enhancing our capabilities and service quality,” says Han Kun. The firm also ensures new partners can quickly align with existing teams. “For instance, when serving large international private equity funds, our M&A team leads the transaction execution, while our financing, capital markets, compliance, tax, IP, labor, and dispute resolution teams collaborate under unified coordination, delivering comprehensive and seamless services.” Multifaceted benefits Beyond enhancing professional capabilities, the integration of lawyers with international firm backgrounds offers significant advantages in law firm management and development. Haiwen highlights the development of its Hong Kong office as a prime example of its strategic growth. “The Hong Kong office has a well-balanced practice structure, including public and private market investments and M&A, USD fund services, capital markets, dispute resolution, and entertainment law. In 2023, we brought in Tom Chau, Wang Zhong, and Isaac Chen from Herbert Smith to strengthen our traditional expertise in capital markets. We believe that, given the shifting dynamics of A-shares and U.S. listings, Hong Kong will remain a key focus for Chinese enterprises’ capital markets operations,” the firm explains. In addition, Edward Liu, a dispute resolution expert from Hill Dickinson, joined Haiwen in 2022. “This reflects our continued efforts to enhance the Hong Kong office’s professional structure. Thanks to years of effort, the Hong Kong office now boasts a healthy practice structure and strong comprehensive capabilities,” the firm concludes. Han Kun tells ALB that partners from international firms bring valuable expertise in cross-border transactions and client service, including English drafting and negotiation. For example, Luo Shaolin, an ex-STB partner who joined Han Kun in 2021, conducted extensive M&A training during the pandemic, supporting the firm’s shift to later-stage and control transactions. In 2023, Han Kun expanded globally with new offices in Singapore and New York, and international partners like Steve Lin and Wang Yu further strengthened its global presence. “These partners provide insights into client needs, integrate resources across offices, and play key roles in team coordination, knowledge sharing, and regional strategy, driving Han Kun’s global growth,” the firm says. The inclusion of partners with international firm backgrounds brings its own challenges, with cultural integration being a key concern. Haiwen tells ALB that “When we bring in partners from international firms, we do so with a strong sense of responsibility. A hallmark of Haiwen is its highly integrated internal working model, which relies on deep alignment among team members.” — Haiwen “我们希望未来合伙人能够真正理解中国所的业务运 作模式、中国客户与律师的沟通方式、中国客户对法律 服务的期待。海问的特点在于内部采取了高度交融的一 体化作业方式，彼此的深入了解和认可非常重要的。” — 海问
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