28 Asian Legal Business | January 2025 Duan & Duan primarily uses direct management and joint venture models for its overseas offices. “We select only the best teams as partners, aiming to export our brand value and focusing on partners’ professional background and cultural identity.” The new London office exemplifies this approach. Formerly Jackson Lyon LLP, it has a respected reputation in commercial, civil, and criminal dispute resolution, litigation, real estate, and immigration law. “That team has handled many high-profile cases involving people of Chinese descent in the UK, including some that reached the UK Supreme Court.” “Our strategy is to open new offices only when there’s proven demand in a mature regional market, rather than expanding blindly,” Zhuang emphasizes. “After establishing each overseas office, we manage it in cooperation with the head office to achieve resource sharing and complementary advantages.” Tiandiren Law Firm: Serving the “highland” of China-Africa economic and trade cooperation In 2024, Hunan Tiandiren Law Firm launched its overseas expansion by establishing offices in Kenya and Uganda, marking its entry into the African market. Senior Partner Zou Hongyan explains that Tiandiren’s focus on Africa’s legal services market began a decade ago. The firm has been diligently working in ten key African countries to form strategic alliances with local firms possessing strong full-service capabilities and quick response times. These alliances aim to provide integrated China-Africa legal services. Thus, the new offices in Kenya and Uganda represent the culmination of ten years of dedicated effort. Tiandiren’s focus on Africa aligns with clear national policy objectives. Zou notes that the firm’s emphasis on Africa has been influenced by the deepening cooperation between Hunan Province and African countries, as well as the implementation of national strategies. “Hunan now hosts two nationallevel strategic platforms. First is the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo, permanently hosted by Hunan, with three successful editions already held. Second is the ‘China-Africa Economic and Trade Deep Cooperation Pilot Zone Construction Plan,’ approved in January 2024. This Hunan-led platform aims to pool resources from various stakeholders and be internationally competitive,” Zou explains. “Hunan has become the ‘highland’ of China-Africa cooperation, necessitating increased focus on Africa-related legal services,” Zou adds. Tiandiren’s overseas offices operate under a hybrid model between direct management and alliance. The firm has established deep partnerships with local firms in Kenya and Uganda to jointly open offices under the Tiandiren brand. This model facilitates closer cooperation than a simple alliance, with cases jointly led and served by both parties. “We’ve developed this model through long-term cooperation with foreign firms in providing integrated services. However, we’re open to exploring other models based on market demand and management costs, and may increase our control over overseas offices in the future,” Zou states. “Law firms should pursue overseas expansion based on their unique characteristics and operating environment. Tiandiren has prioritized Africa due to timing, regional characteristics, client features, and our established cooperation networks. However, we’re not limited to Africa and have included Southeast Asia and Central Asia in our development plans,” Zou adds. “Failing to go global will take one out of the game. This has become a consensus in China’s business community. As a productive service industry, law firms must grasp major trends and follow the momentum,” Zou concludes. 过去12个月，中国律所出现了“扎堆出 海”的趋势。根据ALB的不完全统计，至 少37家中国律所新设立了超80家境外 办公室。 其中，“超级大所”盈科、京师在海外 布局上保持引领态势，分别增加了10家 以上的海外分支机构。 其他律所则根据业务需求和资源状 况，相对零散地展开海外布局，分别设 立了1-3家新办公室：例如海华永泰、华 商、中联等五家律所新设立或正在设立 3家海外办公室；炜衡、段和段、兰迪、广 悦、天地人等八家律所新增2家海外办公 室；方达、君合、国浩、隆安、卓建等22家 律所则新增1家海外办公室。 从地域上看，中国香港成为最受欢 迎的目的地，共8家律所在此布局，其中 道可特、卓信、光大等将香港选做境外 发展第一站。 日本同样炙手可热，共有6家中国律 所新设了东京办公室。 东南亚地区更有成为“兵家必争之 地”之势，共有16家律所在此区域新布 局了24家办公室。 另一出海热门区域是中亚地区，盈科 在乌兹别克斯坦、塔吉克斯坦、哈萨克斯 坦分别设立了直营办公室，另有4家律所 分别在上述3国设立了办公室。 邻近的中东地区同样成为中国律所 境外发展重地，京师在土耳其、巴林、塞 浦路斯新设合作办公；盈科在卡塔尔、 土耳其布局；湖南金州律师事务所则在 阿联酋落子。 此外，尽管国际政治形势不明朗，欧美 国家对华政策收紧，但这些经济成熟的地 区依然是律所出海重点考量，例如海华永 泰选择在澳大利亚、西班牙、美国建立办 公室；盈科进入英国、法国、德国市场；君 合、安理则分别选择了落户美国、加拿大。 在海外办公室数量增长的同时，律 所海外发展的规模、定位、策略各不相 同，中国律所出海正迈入“百花齐放”时 代。三家出海阶段、策略各不相同的律 所向ALB讲述了他们的故事。 兰迪：强调“华人主导”、着眼发展中国家 总部位于上海的兰迪律师事务所已在18 个国家设立了22个海外办公室，且是目 前在“一带一路”沿线的发展中国家布局 最广的中国律所之一。兰迪全国管委会 主任刘逸星律师表示，兰迪的国际布局 与其定位和理念密不可分。 “创办兰迪之初，我们的目标就是打 造一家由华人主导的国际大所、强所，因 此‘强势国际化’，最终且始终是兰迪重 要的发展理念之一。”刘律师说。 兰迪瞄准了与中国更具相似性的发 展中国家。“在经济转型过程中，兰迪提 Law firm management
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