27 Asian Legal Business | January 2025 shop in Qatar and Turkey, and Hunan King Zone Lawyer Office venturing into the UAE. Despite ongoing geopolitical tensions and tightening policies towards China in the U.S. and Europe, these economically advanced regions remain key targets for Chinese law firms’ global expansion. The appeal of these markets persists, as evidenced by recent moves from several prominent firms. Hiways Law Firm, for instance, has established offices in Australia, Spain, and the United States, showcasing a diverse approach. Yingke Law Firm has focused on major European markets, opening offices in the UK, France, and Germany. Meanwhile, JunHe LLP has expanded into the United States, and Anli Partners has set up shop in Canada. After establishing presence in these popular locations, large firms are also further expanding into other less popular places. For example, Yingke has entered New Zealand and Afghanistan, Jingsh has moved into Finland and Bulgaria, while Hengdu Law Firm has ventured into Pakistan. Interestingly, law firms from China’s non-tier-1 cities are also actively pursuing international expansion. These firms are targeting diverse regions across the globe. For instance, Changsha-based Tiandiren has focused on Africa, while Hunan King Zone Lawyer Office has set its sights on the UAE. Hunan Longguan Law Firm has ventured into Canada, and Hunan Pizheng Law Firm has established a presence in Kazakhstan. Landing Law Offices: “Chinese leadership” and a focus on developing countries Shanghai-based Landing Law Offices boasts 22 overseas offices across 18 countries, making it one of the Chinese firms with the most extensive network in developing countries along the Belt and Road Initiative. Liu Yixing, Director of the firm’s National Management Committee, explains that Landing’s international presence aligns closely with its positioning and philosophy. “Since Landing’s inception, our goal has been to build a strong global firm led by Chinese professionals. ‘Strong internationalization’ has always been central to our development strategy,” Liu states. The firm targets developing countries with similarities to China. “We anticipated that China would face significant obsolete production capacity, which needs to be transferred to large developing countries complementary to China’s economy, offering both population and market benefits,” Liu explains. Landing established its first overseas office in India in 2016, followed by Indonesia, Mexico, and Bangladesh. In 2024, responding to Russia’s demand for international engineering services and China’s ongoing production capacity transfer, the firm opened a Russian office. While Chinese firms initially preferred establishing offices in developed countries, Liu notes the challenges: “Although trade volume with developed countries is substantial, it’s difficult to set up traditional industry plants there. Local firms in these countries have long histories and strong track records, and local lawyers of Chinese descent are highly competitive. The high operational costs for Chinese firms in these markets may not be supported by sufficient caseloads.” However, Landing remains open to developed markets, as evidenced by its Singapore office opened in 2024 in response to client demand. Landing emphasizes “Chinese leadership” in its overseas operations, opting against alliances with foreign firms. “Chinese companies rely more on Chinese lawyers for overseas expansion. Our overseas offices are Landinginvested, staffed by Landing lawyers, and controlled by Landing in overall operations,” Liu says. While Landing has advised hundreds of Chinese companies on overseas expansion, Liu acknowledges challenges in managing overseas offices. “It’s challenging to have local senior lawyers fully accept head office management. We prefer recruiting and training young, experienced lawyers, despite potential initial inexperience.” Liu reveals plans for continued expansion in 2025, with expected office openings in seven countries, including Ukraine, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Uzbekistan. Duan & Duan: Prioritizing developed markets and mature partners Duan & Duan, also headquartered in Shanghai, is a pioneer among Chinese law firms in international expansion. It opened an office in Seattle as early as 1994 and was one of the first mainland firms to establish a presence in Hong Kong SAR. Eric Zhuang, Executive Chairman of Duan & Duan’s Global Board of Directors, explains that over the past three decades, the firm has focused on expanding overseas based on client sources and business needs. Initially, the firm’s clients were primarily from Western developed countries, shaping its early expansion focus. Subsequently, “to support more Chinese companies and citizens in their overseas ventures and protect their interests abroad, Duan & Duan gradually opened nine offices across North America, Europe, East Asia, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia.” In 2024, Duan & Duan opened a London office and received approval for its Tokyo office. Zhuang explains, “London is one of the most important areas for business, as evidenced by China’s overall investment in Europe and the activities of Chinese companies and citizens in the UK.” “Additionally, China is Japan’s largest trading partner, second-largest export destination, and top import source. Japanese clients form a significant portion of our client base. We established a Nagoya office in 2018, and the Tokyo office is expected to further expand our services in Japan.” Regarding future expansion, Zhuang shares that Duan & Duan aims to increase its market share in developed countries’ legal services markets. “Next year, we’ll focus on Sydney and Singapore for new offices, while also planning expansion to countries like Vietnam and the UAE. We’ll leverage the talents and resources of our existing 37 offices to enhance our overseas presence further.” Law firm management
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