53 ASIAN LEGAL BUSINESS CHINA • 亚洲法律杂志-中国版 WWW.LEGALBUSINESSONLINE.COM/CHINA 王唯宁 北京星来律师事务所副主任、创始合伙人 wangweining@xinglailaw.com Integrating multiple disciplines to strengthen the talent foundation and enhance overall capabilities —Interview with Wang Weining, Vice Director at Beijing Starrise Law Firm The ALB China Law Awards 2024 finalists were unveiled in late April, with Beijing Starrise Law Firm prominently featured in the “Rising Law Firm of the Year” category. As one of the few firms in the market dedicated entirely to compliance services, Starrise has crafted a unique system that prioritizes innovative corporate compliance services, supported by high-end criminal, civil, and commercial litigation, as well as non-litigious legal services. Earlier this year, the firm also made the 2024 ALB China Firms to Watch list, securing a stellar reputation in the legal services market. Wang Weining, vice director and founding partner at Starrise, shares the firm’s strategic insights and practices that led to their success. Leveraging diverse backgrounds to build more efficient teams Most of Starrise’s lawyers hail from top law schools both within China and abroad. The heads of each legal service centre at Starrise bring years of experience from prestigious domestic law firms, boasting a track record of success in both litigious and non-litigious matters across various sectors. Wang notes that Starrise leverages the diverse backgrounds of its team to tailor a working model that best fits its specific needs. “Unlike many firms that use a standard team-based approach for compliance services, Starrise creates a legal pool from all our lawyers. Based on the particular demands of each case, teams are strategically assembled to capitalize on the unique expertise of lawyers from different specialties, ensuring the delivery of viable compliance legal services,” Wang explains. Starrise’s compliance services are extensive, covering areas such as compliance system development, compliance standard certification, criminal compliance, corporate compliance, and specialized compliance in sectors like securities, data privacy, environmental protection, foreign investment, anti-bribery, labor and employment, production safety, and intellectual property. The strategic composition of a legal team is key to the success of Starrise’s compliance service system. “Typically, each case includes: first, a senior partner who leads the project and ensures the quality of service; second, the primary handling lawyers comprised of senior attorneys and consultants with deep experience in corporate compliance and legal services, as well as senior attorneys with extensive expertise in civil, criminal, and administrative litigation, and attorneys specialized in areas such as compliance, securities, environmental law, intellectual property, data, and labor; third, younger lawyers from prestigious educational institutions like Peking University and China University of Political Science and Law, who support the project,” Wang elaborates. “By harnessing the professional strengths of lawyers with varied backgrounds in each case, Starrise’s compliance services display a dual nature of non-litigious and litigious characteristics, frequently earning accolades from clients for the thoroughness and practicality. ‘Down to earth’ is among the highest compliments we receive from our clients,” Wang concludes. Emphasizing talent, career growth of lawyers In recent years, compliance has emerged as a highly sought-after sector. To continuously expand and enhance its influence in this area, Starrise prioritizes attracting and nurturing talent. Wang comments, “Talent, cases, market — regardless of the order, these are constants for every law firm. In its fourth year, Starrise has managed many impactful cases with significant market influence and substantial fees. Yet, these are not our primary focus. We always place talent first, believing that a pool of high-quality, abundant professional talent is the core advantage driving the development of specialized fields, enhancing market influence, and strengthening competitiveness.” On a practical level, Starrise actively develops various benchmarks as a foundation for a talent reservoir. “Similar to the popular ESG concept, Starrise is committed to creating its own ‘APP’ concept: a harmonious working atmosphere (Atmosphere), mutual trust in professional capabilities (Professionality), and generous compensation with fair profit sharing (Payback),” Wang illustrates. “With a robust talent base, Starrise meticulously manages each case, boosting its brand through reputation, which in turn drives market development. This market expansion further motivates Starrise to attract more professional talent and to continue refining and expanding specialized areas,” Wang explains. Further, drawing from over three years of growth, Starrise is set to intensify efforts to develop standout lawyers. “Many mid-to-senior level lawyers possess stellar educational backgrounds and impressive resumes but often lack the confidence needed to transition from lawyer to partner. Starrise focuses particularly on this transition, providing substantial support for excellent lawyers to become outstanding partners,” Wang adds. Beyond compliance: establishing the “Starrise Standard” Regarding future development plans, Wang analyzes from the client’s perspective: “Building an outstanding law firm requires not only talent but also a group of client companies that grow alongside the firm. Starrise has established itself as a leading firm in compliance and criminal legal services, effectively reducing corporate risks related to civil, administrative, and criminal issues and enhancing companies’ capacity for self-rescue when such risks occur. However, for companies, growth is essential, and it cannot be solely dependent on compliance.” “Therefore, Starrise is actively expanding its offerings to include civil and commercial legal services, cross-border legal services, and non-litigious services such as investment and mergers and acquisitions. We have already attracted top-tier lawyers in these fields, and I believe these services will significantly bolster Starrise’s development this year, providing our clients with superior legal services and creating greater value,” says Wang. In terms of brand building, Wang emphasizes that Starrise is committed to steady progress and maintaining correct priorities. “With many exemplary law firms in the market, Starrise does not aim to stand out by being contrary but instead actively learns from the best practices of industry leaders. At Starrise, we are dedicated to establishing the ‘Starrise Standard’ through professional capability, dedication, and a strong service orientation. We aspire for the ‘Starrise Standard’ to be synonymous with excellence in the legal field. While we may not always be number one in every area, our goal is for everyone to recognize that choosing Starrise is always the right decision.”
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