The ZLF Law Office, a joint venture created by the Zhong Yin, Lektou and Fongs law firms in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, opened for business in the Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration Tower in Qianhai on Nov. 9.

As the first law firm in China to be jointly operated by mainland, Hong Kong and Macao partners, ZLF is also the largest joint law firm with the largest number of lawyers from Hong Kong and Macao. The establishment of this joint law firm is expected to better meet the needs of market players in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) for cross-border legal services and promote the integrated development of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao in the field of foreign-related high-end legal services.

Liu Guilin, vice director of Qianhai Authority, attended the opening ceremony and said in his speech that the participation of Hong Kong and Macao legal service providers is a distinctive feature of Qianhai’s rule of law construction. He anticipates the ZLF Law Office will take the innovation of cross-border legal services model as its foundation and build itself into a business card for the integrated development of the legal service industry in Shenzhen as well as in the GBA.

In September 2021, the Central Government issued the “Plan for Comprehensively Deepening the Reform and Opening-up of Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone,” which proposes to deepen the reform of the partnership mechanism among mainland, Hong Kong and Macao law firms in Qianhai, and encourages Hong Kong and Macao law firms to set up business presence in Qianhai.

Thus far, 124 legal institutions in six major categories including justice, arbitration, mediation, notarization, forensic expertise, and lawyer consulting services have moved into the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong International Legal-services District. Qianhai has been home to seven Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao joint venture law firms. A total of 13 Hong Kong and Macao lawyers of the seven law firms have obtained the qualifications to practice in the GBA.