26 ASIAN LEGAL BUSINESS CHINA • 亚洲法律杂志-中国版 JUNE 2024 Home to the five provinces and municipalities of Beijing, Tianjin, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, and Hebei, North China plays an important role geographically, politically and economically. In 2023, Beijing and Hebei were the “dual growth engines” of North China, with total GDP of each exceeding four trillion yuan ($550 billion); Shanxi witnessed the development of new industries such as photovoltaics, electronic information and biopharmaceuticals; Inner Mongolia achieved GDP growth of 7.3 percent under the guidance of precise policies; and Tianjin continued to drive the growth of foreign trade, logistics and other industries as a port city. North China has a relatively robust economic base, which almost guarantees a sizable legal services market in the region. However, the area’s uneven development, significant variations in economic characteristics within the region, and the overly dominant “siphoning effect” of Beijing have also created a unique growth environment and challenges for law firms and lawyers operating there. Docvit Law Firm is a Beijing-headquartered full-service firm with presence in North China, currently having offices in Tianjin and Taiyuan. David Lin, managing partner of Docvit and co-director of the management committee of the Beijing office, tells ALB that these two North China offices were established “after taking into consideration factors such as client needs, regional economic development and strategic priorities. Doing so is beneficial to us because we can stay closer to the market and delve deeper locally to better provide clients with timely, efficient and high-quality legal services.” “As a key city in the Bohai Economic Rim and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Metropolitan Area, Tianjin enjoys apparent location advantages and has a diversified industrial structure,” explains Lin. In 2018, Docvit opened its first regional office in Tianjin. In addition, “Taiyuan, as the capital of Shanxi province, is an important energy base and industrial city. In recent years, the city has accelerated the pace of industrial transformation and upgrading. With strategic emerging industries booming and the business environment constantly being optimized, the legal services market in Taiyuan has huge potential.” According to Lin, the share of the North China market in the firm’s total revenue has been steadily rising over the years. “On the one hand, the Beijing office plays an indispensable role in our total revenue. On the other hand, after several years of REGIONAL REPORT North China plays a pivotal role in China’s political, geographical, and economic landscape. However, the region also faces unique challenges such as uneven development and the centralizing effect of Beijing, impacting the legal services market. To be successful, law firms in North China have to show they are able to adapt not just to the evolving legal needs, but also regional economic characteristics. 在首份“华北地区报告”中，ALB关注于该地区法律服务市场发展情况，并重点聚焦天津、太原市场的近况与挑战。 耕耘于当地的律师分享了自身在经济动能转换中面对的挑战和机遇，以及他们如何“因地制宜”，提供符合华北客 户需求的法律服务。 BY HU YANGXIAOXIAO 作者：胡阳潇潇 ALB CHINA REGIONAL REPORT: NORTH CHINA 区域市场报告：华北地区
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjA0NzE4Mw==