ALB连续三年将目光锁定在长三角地区的法律服务市场。成绩斐然的律所和律师新星与ALB讲述了在这个经济优势显著、一体化程度颇高的市场上，如何层层突围、确定方向、不断进阶。
本月，ALB在2023年度的第四个区域市场榜单出炉，这一次我们聚焦于长三角地区实力雄厚、表现亮眼的律师事务所，以及展现出傲人成绩的青年律师。
本次ALB排名的观察范围依旧是上海市、江苏省、浙江省和安徽省，对各家律所的基本情况、专业实力、业务布局、客户关系及发展路径等情况进行评估，其中既包括人员数量、营收规模等硬指标，也包括发展策略、客户评价等“软实力”。
最终，15家总部位于长三角地区的本地律所与15家在长三角设有分所的非本地律所上榜。本地所中，8家总部位于上海，4家位于杭州，2家位于南京，1家位于苏州；非本地律所的总部则全部位于北京。
值得关注的是，8家本地律所已连续三年上榜，有5家则在三年内实现两次获选；而在非本地律所序列中，14家律所“连中三元”，1家律所连续两年登榜。能在行业规模大、发展速度快的长三角市场连年脱颖而出，体现出上榜律所相对持久稳固的实力和影响力。
在长三角这一教育水平领先、人力资源聚集的区域，律师行业更是“星光熠熠”。ALB从律师主要成就、过去一年代理的重大交易/案件、客户评价等角度出发，评选出30位律师新星。
相比于去年，上榜律师划分成了本地律所和非本地律所两个序列。其中有19位律师在上海执业，8位在杭州工作，2位的工作地点是南京，另一位则驻扎宁波。他们都不满40岁，而绝大多数的执业年限在10年以上。执业领域较为集中在资本市场、公司商事、并购与重组等，也有不少致力于涉外业务、国际贸易等领域。
这样的执业领域分布与长三角的经济优势密切相关。据各地统计局数据，今年上半年，上海市、江苏省、浙江省和安徽省GDP增速均在6%以上，高于全国5.5%的平均水平，四地GDP之和占全国GDP的24%以上。
“长三角地区是中国最重要经济区域之一，律师行业在这里呈现出业务活跃、不断发展和创新的态势，也符合经济规律与行业发展趋势。”本次“律师新星”得主、正策律师事务所合伙人孙凭慧律师说，长三角地区法律服务业生态包含多层优势：
“首先，长三角地区有全国前列的经济总量，有人口集中优势，有经历较长经济演变并依然持续发展的制造业，律师行业的传统业务在这里有根基，也有发展；其次，长三角是全球最重要港口地区之一，港口业务量也在全球前列，是中国对外开放的晴雨表，涉外法律服务业务量比其他区域更大；最后，长三角也面临创新经济集中迭代发展的机遇期，律师行业在这里紧紧追随创新经济，相关服务正慢慢生根。”
另一位“律师新星”得主、汇业律师事务所合伙人陈一维律师也有相似的观察：“以不到4%的国土面积，创造出中国近四分之一的经济总量、三分之一的进出口总额，长三角地区吸引了大量跨国公司，有着对高水平国际法律事务解决方案的切实需求。该地区的律所通常汇集涉外法律服务团队，能够满足客户高质量、国际化的法律需求；另外，长三角地区的法律服务业也积极推动创新。随着互联网和科技的发展，一些律所在法律科技和人工智能等领域进行积极探索，以提供更高效的法律服务。”
“长三角地区的法律服务业蓬勃发展，具有强大的市场吸引力和国际化特点，为律师提供了广泛的机会和挑战。”陈律师说。
推动区域内一体化
在与本次上榜的多家律所交流中，ALB感受到尽管不少律所总部位于上海，但他们并不以城市来区分工作界限，而是把长三角视作一个整体。邦信阳律师事务所管理合伙人赵亮波律师表示，长三角地区正加速推进一体化发展，这为法律服务业发展带来了重要机遇。
“在市场需求方面，一体化背景下区域内要素流动加速，跨区域经济活动增多，必然导致对跨区域法律服务的需求上升。长三角地区企业并购、政府采购等商业活动呈现出越来越强的跨区域特征，需要具有区域协同能力的律所进行服务。传统的城市区域性分割已经难以适应新的需求。因此，布局长三角的法律机构将在竞争中处于有利地位。”赵律师说。
“除了较早设立的南京办公室，邦信阳分别于2018、2019、2021、2023年推动新设了杭州、宁波、上海临港、嘉兴四个办公室，使得邦信阳在长三角的服务网络进一步编制牢固与细密。2020年以来，邦信阳大力推动律所长三角一体化方案的实施，取得了良好的阶段性成果，各个办公室之间的协同联动能力增强，跨城市、跨区域的服务质量与效率进一步提升。”赵律师补充道。
国枫律师事务所执行合伙人、上海办公室主任朱黎庭律师表示，长三角地区能实现法律服务的高水平发展、吸引众多非本地律所开设办公室的一个原因便是区域一体化带来的产业高度集中。“长三角地区产业布局极为丰富，产业链完整，几乎能找到任何产业的龙头企业，而沿着产业的上、下游追索，一定能触及该区域内的许多优质供应商和下游企业，而且几乎都能在最多两小时内通过公路或铁路到达。”
“法律服务业，特别是像国枫这样以资本市场为主要业务的律所，往往会注重产业布局，去往产业最集中、最具潜力的区域。我相信长三角地区未来依旧是最有影响力、最能持续发展的区域。不夸张地说，一体化的长三角地区的法律服务需求无止境，律所只需找准定位和领域。”朱律师补充道。
常驻上海的天元律师事务所合伙人蔡磊律师说，长三角一体化作为整个区域新的驱动力之一，给法律服务业带来积极意义，比如本地办公室的设立对于响应客户全方位的需求、平衡各区域间的劳动力成本都有非常积极的意义。
“天元在长三角地区也顺应这个趋势，形成了各地办公室之间的紧密合作关系。对于天元上海办公室来讲，一方面可以将一些华东区域客户的日常法律服务需求传递给其他办公室，另一方面可以集中优势力量协助各地办公室开拓传统法律服务市场以外的新型业务，经济效益和人力资源的分布都更为合理。”蔡律师说。
定位与策略
在长三角一体化发展趋势下，律所也在不断根据实际情况和环境变化来调整定位和发展策略。
据蔡磊律师介绍，天元在2014年后加快了在长三角地区的布局，相继在杭州、苏州、合肥、南京等重点城市开设办公室，扎根各省市的法律服务市场。同时，“天元施行的是一体化发展的战略并辅以一体化管理的措施，每年会召开合伙人会议以及长三角合伙人论坛，为总部与各办公室以及区域办公室之间提供了包括但不限于专业领域、市场开拓、合作讨论等全面的交流平台；天元各办公室之间也有不定期的相互探访活动，各地合伙人之间的交流也非常频繁。”
“在客户有相关需求的时候，天元可以在短时间内组织、动员各办公室的力量，迅速组成最合适的团队。天元将各区域办公室定位为前台，充分调动其他办公室的力量与本区域的团队一起组成中后台，更好响应客户的需求、提供全面的法律服务。”蔡律师介绍道。
国枫的朱黎庭律师表示，一体化管理是国枫的一个特点，“上海办公室和今年新开业的杭州办公室都在北京总所的唯一管理体系下运行，市场、品牌建设等职能都是一体化的，国枫不采用加盟的方式来进行扩张。”
在发展策略层面，朱律师谈到国枫在2017年前，在全国法律服务市场上是一家典型的只做国内资本市场的IPO、并购重组业务的专业所，但随着长三角地区各类公司的业务类型越来越多，法律需求随之增长并变得复杂，“比如说知识产权、房地产、境外投资等，需要律所提供综合的法律服务，这样才能增强客户的黏性”。
因此，国枫上海办公室在2017年开始了“适度规模化、适度多元化”的探索，逐渐涉足房地产、基金、知识产权、争议解决等领域，引进了一批有影响力的合伙人团队，律所人数从几十人增长到100多人，实现了上述领域的快速发展，能为公司提供从注册到重整的全链条服务。“上海办公室以资本市场为龙头业务、探索发展相关业务，可以说这次转型效果明显，展现出‘长三角’速度，也开始影响到深圳等其他办公室。”
但朱律师强调，国枫不一味追求大规模，继续坚持适度多元化、规模化，坚持精品律所的定位。“我们不希望让客户感觉我们什么都能做，而是只做好、做精资本市场主营方向，以专业为本。”
邦信阳的赵亮波律师说，律师行业发展的阶段以及支撑律所高速发展的逻辑发展了根本变化。“本世纪的头20年，律师行业享受‘规模红利’，许多律所在‘跑马圈地’‘开疆扩土’中抢占市场，获得品牌与专业上的成长。但随着经济和市场需求的变化、行业竞争的加剧，律师行业已迎来一个全新的发展阶段，律所已经不能单纯依靠规模取胜，专业的辐射深度与广度、服务的质量与效率、平台防范与规避风险的能力等，都会成为影响律所发展乃至存亡的重要方面。”
赵律师表示，在总体发展策略上，邦信阳近年来遵循“适度规模化”与“区域一体化”相结合的发展思路。“一方面，我们不再盲目追求规模化，在适度规模化的基础上更加关注服务质量、人才效能、平台品控等内核；另一方面，在提升平台一体化的过程中，我们重点做好区域服务网络的布局与协同，提升区域服务能力。在平台治理能力上，邦信阳具有‘半公司化’制度的优势，近年来加大对中后台的投入，在制度与标准、数字与系统、人才与知识等方面进行重点建设。”
进阶之道
和其他区域相同，人才也是长三角法律行业发展不可或缺的因素。上榜的律师新星向ALB分享了他们的感悟。
“长三角地区客户自身的体量巨大，接触律所多、选择空间大，往往对律师服务的专业度和细节要求更高。商事律师唯有长期‘如履薄冰’地坚持业务标准，长期专注于打磨自身和团队的专业能力，才能匹配客户国际化的法律服务需求。”陈一维律师以此概括长三角地区律师的进阶之道。
陈律师表示，不仅要关注法律变化、提升技能知识，还要关注法律环境和行业、市场变化，“只有不断关注和适应变化，才能在这个发展迅速的行业中成长、成功。”另外，陈律师认为应秉持客户至上原则，坚持团队协同合作并提供创新性解决方案，并坚持诚信和职业操守，倡导公益和社会责任，才能成为更优秀的律师。
孙凭慧律师则总结道：“律师的成长需要好的团队支持，可弥补律师单打独斗之有限；也需要个人勤奋努力，全力以赴、精益求精可弥补并改变案件处理的深度及广度。”
本次上榜的律师新星都已成为合伙人，有多位还担任管理职务。对于执业十余载的他们，带团队、与团队共同成长尤为关键。
陈一维律师带领的团队从事涉外并购、公司商事与诉讼仲裁等领域的法律服务，包括了合伙人、资深律师、年轻律师以及法律助理，每位成员都在不同领域具备专业知识和技能。陈律师期待能够迎来更多理念契合的优秀律师，共同打造具有一定声誉、高效专业的团队。陈律师采用了持续培训和教育、导师制度、团队协作、工作质量管理、激励和奖励、社交和文化这六种方式来提高成员的专业素质和团队精神。
孙凭慧律师则表示她的团队构成采用了一种创新机制：“由核心团队与梯队团队组成，核心团队可以解决战略发展、业务风控及底线思维之核心难题，即解决律师业务发展深度与长远问题；而梯队团队是解决律师业务发展广度与当下的问题。”
关于提升团队竞争力，孙律师认为应坚持三种思维和行为：
“第一，人和性、互补性是核心之核心。人和是团队竞争力的核心，而互补是巩固人和的重要条件；第二，看淡眼前利益、关注长远利益。具有竞争力的团队，一定是努力服务于眼前，但团队成员更关注长远的发展，所有的过程均是可持续的累积；第三，重于过程、期待未来是良好心态保障。把每一个案件细节在过程中标准化呈现，注重过程，以平常心看淡结果。”
未来已来
谈及长三角法律服务市场的未来，邦信阳的赵亮波律师认为将会出现以下趋势：服务的辐射范围将超出传统行业，与新经济领域深度融合；市场竞争将日益加剧，优胜劣汰的格局更加明显；科技应用将深入各个服务环节，智能化将成为提质增效的关键所在；招聘、培养、留存高素质法律人才将影响律所实力；客户需求将更加细分和定制化，要求提供个性化解决方案。
“面对这些趋势，邦信阳将持续推动以下举措：完善在长三角城市的战略布局，实现合理的网络覆盖；加大科技投入，建立高效的数字化办公系统；深化人才激励机制，打造敏捷化的组织架构；构建知识管理平台，推动知识积累与创新；拓展国际化业务合作，提升全球化服务能力；打造以客户为中心的精益化业务流程。”赵律师说。
国枫的朱黎庭律师也观察到了已经对本地律师行业产生影响的多重变化，主要包括以人工智能为代表的新技术、大环境变化催生的新业务、人才的招纳培养和激烈竞争中的差异化优势。
朱律师认为，AI等技术能完成一些低端的法律服务工作，但其成本也需要关注，是否能完全替代人力，仍有待观察。“律师从初入职场到成为成熟的合伙人，长达数年的成长道路是少不了的，跟客户长期的有效沟通、关系培养是AI无法取代的，因此律师不会被AI替代。未来的法律服务还会以人为本。”
而面对竞争，朱律师表示国枫将打造专业“高地”和壁垒，在同质化竞争中始终保持领先。目前，国枫处于资本市场业务的第一阵营中，但朱律师认为还需要持续自我修炼，不求规模，但求稳健发展、口碑不倒。
汇业的陈一维律师表示将重点关注国际法律发展和跨国业务。“当今国际形势复杂多变，了解不同国家和地区的法律、法规和政策变化，对提供国际化法律服务至关重要。汇业计划与国际合作伙伴进一步加强合作，更好地满足客户的国际法律需求。”
正策的孙凭慧律师最关心的是涉外法律服务业务。“我们并不追求律所规模与人员数量，而注重团队人和、专业更强，保持良好的心态面对每一个案件、每一份委托。我和团队将为‘做企业身边的律所’、建设‘专精特新’律所而奋斗。”
“天元上海办公室会继续深耕上海，关注新兴产业的发展并针对性地开发相对标准化的产品，同时与长三角地区其他办公室开展更紧密的专业研讨、团队培训、业务合作，逐步实现区域一体化的目标。”天元的蔡磊律师说。
2023 ALB China Regional Ranking: Yangtze River Delta Firms & Rising Lawyers
ALB is delving into the legal services market in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region for the third consecutive year. Law firms and exceptional rising lawyers are sharing their insights with ALB, shedding light on how they distinguish themselves, adapt their strategies, and continually progress in this tightly integrated market, known for its significant economic advantages.
ALB's fourth regional ranking for 2023 has been released, focusing on the top firms and outstanding young lawyers in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region. This ranking covers Shanghai, Jiangsu Province, Zhejiang Province, and Anhui Province. It evaluates various aspects of each law firm, including headcount, revenue, development strategies, client relations, and client reviews.
Fifteen local firms headquartered in the YRD region and 15 non-local firms with offices in the YRD have made the list. Among the local firms, eight are headquartered in Shanghai, four in Hangzhou, two in Nanjing, and one in Suzhou. All non-local firms are headquartered in Beijing.
It's worth noting that eight local firms have made the list for three consecutive years, while five have been selected twice in three years. Among the non-local firms, 14 have been selected for three years in a row, while one firm has been on the list for two consecutive years. This consistent recognition in the dynamic YRD market highlights these winning firms' enduring strength and influence.
The YRD region is known for its high educational levels and ability to attract talent, making the legal profession even more prestigious. ALB identifies 30 rising lawyers by examining their key achievements, major deals/cases in the past year, and client reviews.
Compared to last year, the winning lawyers this time are categorised into those working in local firms and those working in non-local firms. Specifically, 19 lawyers practice in Shanghai, eight work in Hangzhou, two are based in Nanjing, and one is stationed in Ningbo. They are all under 40 years old, with most having over ten years of experience in law practice. They primarily work in capital markets, corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, and restructuring. Some also specialise in cross-border services, international trade, and other fields.
This distribution of practice areas aligns closely with the economic strengths of the YRD region. According to data from various local statistics bureaus, in the first half of this year, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui recorded GDP growth above six percent, surpassing the national average of 5.5 percent. The combined GDP of these four places accounts for over 24 percent of the national total.
"The YRD region is one of the most crucial economic regions in China. The legal services industry here is characterised by active business volume, continuous development, and innovation, aligning with economic and industry development trends," says Apple Sun, partner of Joint-Win Partners and a Rising Lawyer winner. She emphasises that the legal services industry ecosystem in the YRD region enjoys multiple advantages.
"The YRD region, with its vast economic aggregates and a relatively large population, offers a thriving manufacturing industry, providing a solid foundation and promising prospects for traditional practice areas of lawyers. Moreover, being one of the world's major port regions, it is a significant barometer of China's global openness. This region experiences a substantial volume of cross-border legal services, surpassing other areas. Lastly, the YRD region is witnessing a window of opportunity due to the concentrated and iterative development of the innovation-driven economy. The legal services industry here closely aligns with the innovation-oriented economy, and related services are gradually taking root."
Another Rising Lawyer winner, Chen Yiwei, partner of Hui Ye Law Firm, shares similar observations: "Occupying less than 4 percent of the country’s land area, the YRD region has generated nearly a quarter of China’s economic aggregate and one-third of China’s total import and export volume. The region has attracted a significant number of multinational companies, resulting in a genuine need for sophisticated solutions for international legal matters. Law firms in the region often assemble cross-border legal service teams to meet clients' high-quality, international legal service needs. Furthermore, the legal services industry in the YRD region is actively pursuing innovation. With the advancements in the Internet and technology, some firms are proactively exploring areas such as Legal Tech and artificial intelligence to provide more efficient legal services."
"The legal services industry in the YRD region is thriving, possesses strong market appeal, and is highly international, creating a wide array of opportunities and challenges for lawyers," concludes Chen.
REGIONAL INTEGRATION
After engaging with numerous winning firms, ALB observes that many winners, although headquartered in Shanghai, do not confine their work within city boundaries. Instead, they view the YRD region as an integrated entity. Zhao Liangbo, managing partner of Boss & Young Attorneys-At-Law, notes that the accelerating pace of integrated development in the YRD region has created significant opportunities for the legal services industry.
"In terms of market demand, integration implies an accelerated flow of production factors within the region and increased cross-regional economic activities. This is expected to lead to a surge in demand for cross-regional legal services. Commercial activities in the YRD region, such as corporate mergers and acquisitions and government procurement, are increasingly cross-regional. These require services from firms that possess regional synergies. Traditional regional divisions based on cities are no longer capable of meeting these new needs. Therefore, firms with a presence across the YRD region will gain a competitive edge," explains Zhao.
"Apart from the Nanjing office, established rather early, Boss & Young set up new offices in Hangzhou, Ningbo, Shanghai Lingang, and Jiaxing, respectively, in 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2023, further expanding our service network in the YRD region. Since 2020, we have vigorously promoted the implementation of our YRD region integration plan and have achieved commendable results. The capabilities of different offices to collaborate have improved, enhancing the quality and efficiency of services across cities and regions."
Zhu Liting, executive partner of Grandway Law Offices and director of its Shanghai office, points out that the high degree of industry concentration resulting from regional integration is one of the reasons the YRD region can achieve a high-level development of legal services and attract many non-local firms to establish offices.
"The YRD region hosts diverse industries and a complete industrial chain. Leading companies in almost any industry can be found here. If you follow the upstream and downstream of a particular industry, you will undoubtedly discover numerous high-quality suppliers and downstream companies in the region, reachable by highway or rail within at most two hours," notes Zhu.
"The legal services industry, especially firms like Grandway, primarily focused on capital markets, tends to consider industrial layout and gravitate towards regions with the highest degree of industry concentration and the greatest potential. I firmly believe that moving forward, the YRD region will continue to hold the most influence and the greatest potential for sustainable development. It's not an exaggeration to say that the demand for legal services in an integrated YRD region will be limitless, and all firms need to identify the right market positioning and practice areas," adds Zhu.
Cai Lei, a partner based in Shanghai at Tian Yuan Law Firm, highlights that the integration of the YRD region as a new driving force for the entire region, has had a positive impact on the legal services industry. For instance, establishing local offices has proven beneficial in responding to clients' comprehensive needs and balancing labour costs across different regions.
“Tian Yuan has also embraced this trend in the YRD region and fostered a close partnership among offices in various locations. Our Shanghai office can, on one hand, delegate routine legal service needs of certain clients to other offices, and, on the other hand, leverage our superior strengths to assist offices in different places in developing new services beyond the traditional legal services market. This approach ensures both economic benefits and human resources are distributed in a more equitable manner,” explains Cai.
POSITIONING AND STRATEGY
Amid the trend of integrated development in the YRD region, firms continuously adjust their positioning and development strategies in response to actual market conditions and changes.
Cai from Tian Yuan Law Firm mentions that they expedited establishing their presence in the YRD region after 2014, opening offices in key cities such as Hangzhou, Suzhou, Hefei, and Nanjing. This strategic expansion allowed them to solidify their position in various provinces and cities within the legal services markets. Additionally, they implemented an integrated development strategy supported by comprehensive management measures. Annual partners' meetings and the YRD partner forum were established to facilitate thorough exchanges between headquarters, local offices, and regional offices regarding practice areas, market development, cooperation, and more. Ad hoc visits and frequent exchanges among partners from different locations further fostered collaboration.
"When clients have specific needs, Tian Yuan can swiftly organise and mobilise different offices to form the most suitable team. We position each regional office as the front office and can fully leverage the strength of other offices and teams in the relevant region to create effective middle and back offices. This structure enables us to better cater to clients' needs and offer comprehensive legal services," explains Cai.
Zhu, from Grandway Law Offices, highlights integrated management as a defining characteristic of their firm. Both the Shanghai and Hangzhou offices, including the newly opened one this year, operate under the exclusive management of the Beijing headquarters, with shared functions such as marketing and brand building. They have steered clear of the franchise model for expansion.
Regarding development strategies, Zhu notes that before 2017, Grandway primarily focused on IPOs, M&As, and restructurings in the domestic capital market. However, with the increasing diversification of businesses in the YRD region, legal service needs have become more complex. They expanded their offerings to include comprehensive legal services for intellectual property, real estate, overseas investments, dispute resolution, and more. This shift led to rapid development in various areas and a substantial increase in their workforce.
Zhu emphasises that while Grandway is open to moderate diversification and upscaling, they will maintain their positioning as a boutique firm and not pursue blind expansion. They strive to excel in capital markets as their main practice area and deepen their specialisation.
In Zhao's perspective, the development stages of the legal services industry and the logic driving the rapid growth of law firms have fundamentally evolved. He points out that in the first two decades of this century, the industry witnessed upscaling, with many firms growing their brand and expertise by expanding their market share. However, economic and market demand changes, along with intensified industry competition, have altered the landscape. Law firms can no longer rely solely on size to succeed; the depth and breadth of professional expertise, service quality and efficiency, and risk management capabilities are now critical factors affecting a firm's development and survival.
Boss & Young has adopted an overall development strategy combining "moderate upscaling" and "regional integration" in recent years. They prioritise service quality, talent performance, platform quality control, and other core aspects while maintaining a moderate size instead of pursuing expansion. Simultaneously, they focus on enhancing platform integration, ensuring a well-coordinated regional service network layout, and improving regional service capabilities. They have invested significantly in middle and back offices, rules and standards, digital transformation, system building, talent, and knowledge.
By navigating these shifts in the legal services landscape, these firms are positioning themselves strategically to adapt and thrive in the evolving market dynamics of the YRD region.
PATH OF PROGRESSION
Talent plays a vital role in developing the legal industry in the YRD region, much like in other areas. Rising lawyers on this year’s list shared their insights with ALB.
Chen Yiwei from Hui Ye highlighted that due to the considerable size of YRD clients and their frequent interactions with law firms, lawyers are faced with high expectations regarding professionalism and attention to detail. Meeting these demands for international legal services necessitates a long-term commitment to upholding professional standards and enhancing the capabilities of both oneself and one's team.
Chen emphasised the need for lawyers to stay abreast of legal changes, improve skills and knowledge, and keep an eye on shifts in the legal environment, industries, and markets. He believes continuous attention and adaptation to changes are essential for personal growth and success. Additionally, Chen stressed the importance of prioritising clients, embracing teamwork, fostering innovative solutions, upholding integrity and professional ethics, and promoting public welfare and social responsibility to enhance professional growth.
Apple Sun from Joint-Win added that for lawyers to grow, they require robust team support to overcome individual limitations. Diligence and the pursuit of excellence are vital in enhancing the depth and breadth of handling cases effectively.
This year's rising lawyers have ascended to partner positions and often hold management roles. For these experienced practitioners with over a decade of practice, leading a team and growing collectively with the team are particularly significant. Chen’s team specializes in cross-border mergers and acquisitions, corporate law, litigation, and arbitration. He aspires to attract more exceptional lawyers with similar ideals to establish a reputable, efficient, and professional team. He emphasises continuous training and education, mentorship, teamwork, work quality management, incentives, rewards, and social interaction to enhance team members' professional competency and team spirit.
Sun's team adopts an innovative structure consisting of a core and reserve teams. The core team addresses strategic development, business risk control, and bottom-line thinking, focusing on the depth of lawyers' professional growth and tackling long-term issues. On the other hand, the reserve team addresses the breadth of professional development, resolving immediate issues.
To enhance her team’s competitiveness, Sun advocates for three types of thinking and behaviour. Firstly, she emphasises harmony and complementarity as the core components of team competitiveness. Second, she urges focusing on long-term interests, believing that a competitive team must balance immediate needs with long-term growth, promoting sustainable accumulation of experience. Lastly, Sun stresses maintaining a positive mindset, standardising case presentation, and adopting a forward-looking perspective when evaluating results.
FUTURE IS HERE
Discussing the future of the legal services market in the YRD region, Zhao predicts several significant trends. He anticipates that services will extend beyond traditional industries and integrate deeply with the new economy. Market competition is expected to intensify, showcasing a clearer survival-of-the-fittest pattern. Technology will permeate all service areas, which is key to enhancing quality and efficiency. Recruiting, training, and retaining top legal talents will significantly impact the strength of firms, and clients will increasingly have personalised needs necessitating tailored solutions.
To address these trends, Boss & Young will advance several strategic measures. They plan to enhance their strategic presence in YRD cities, ensuring a reasonable network coverage. Increased investment in technology to establish an efficient digital office system is a priority, as well as strengthening talent incentive mechanisms and creating an agile organisational structure. They aim to build a knowledge management platform to foster knowledge accumulation and innovation, expand international business cooperation to enhance global service capabilities, and develop a client-centred, lean business process.
Zhu has observed several impactful changes in the local legal services industry, including the influence of new technologies such as AI, the emergence of new businesses due to shifts in the economic environment, challenges and opportunities in talent recruitment and training, and differentiation in fierce competition. According to Zhu, technologies like AI can handle some low-end legal work, but the human element in legal practice, including relationship building with clients, remains irreplaceable. He emphasises that the future of legal services will continue to be people-oriented.
Amidst competition, Zhu emphasises Grandway's approach to building professional "highlands" and "barriers" to maintain a leading edge in a competitive landscape. While the firm is already a top-tier player in capital markets services, Zhu advocates for continuous self-improvement, steady development, a solid reputation, and a focus on quality rather than blind expansion.
Chen from Hui Ye underscores his team's focus on international legal developments and cross-border services, given the complex and ever-changing international landscape. The team plans to strengthen cooperation with international partners to better cater to clients' needs for international legal services.
Sun from Joint-Win Partners emphasises a keen interest in cross-border legal services and prioritises team harmony and professionalism over size or headcount. The team aims to be “the law firm for businesses,” focusing on specialisation and innovation in their practice.
Cai from Tian Yuan's Shanghai office emphasises sinking deep roots in Shanghai, focusing on emerging industries and developing standardised products. Additionally, the office will foster closer professional exchanges, team training, and business cooperation with other offices in the YRD region to achieve gradual regional integration.
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2023 ALB China Regional Ranking: Yangtze River Delta Firms & Rising Lawyers |
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Local Firms |
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AllBright Law Offices Boss & Young Attorneys-At-Law Brighteous Law Firm C&T Partners Capital Equity Legal Group Co-effort Law Firm LLP Fadedongheng Law Firm Hiways Law Firm |
Hui Ye Law Firm Jiangsu HE&PARTNERS Law Firm Joint-Win Partners L&H Law Firm Ronly & Tenwen Partners Shanghai Hansheng Law Offices T&C Law Firm |
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Non-local Firms |
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Commerce & Finance Law Offices Dacheng Law Offices DeHeng Law Offices Global Law Office Grandall Law Firm Grandway Law Offices Guantao Law Firm Han Kun Law Offices |
Jincheng Tongda & Neal Law Firm Jingtian & Gongcheng JunHe LLP King & Wood Mallesons Tian Yuan Law Firm W&H Law Firm Zhong Lun Law Firm |
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Rising Lawyers – |
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Local Firms |
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Chen Shi陈石 Chen Yiwei陈一维 Li Jingliang李景良 Liang Weiwei梁维维 Liu Yingying刘颖颖 Gloria Qiang羌晓莉 Qiu Mengyun邱梦赟 Apple Sun孙凭慧 |
Max Wang王敏志 Eugene Weng翁冠星 Wu Yanqun吴艳群 Yan Feixiang闫飞翔 Yao Huiyun姚慧芸 Yu Ye于野 Elena Zhang张莹琳 |
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Non-local Firms |
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Bao Han包涵 Chai Zhifeng柴志峰 Chen Jiajun陈甲骏 Bella Chen陈燕 Dong Yiping董一平 Fan Ruilin范瑞林 Huang Weijie黄伟杰 Ursula Li李竞雄 |
Liu Guangrui刘广睿 Pan Xiaofei潘小飞 Song Wei宋薇 Tracy Wang王娟 Xiao Jiajia肖佳佳 Zang Yihan臧翌晗 Zheng Lingzhu 郑玲珠 |
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METHODOLOGY |
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Research was based on law firm’s basic information, professional strength, business layout, customer relationship and development path. · Firm information: number of personnel, market scale, business volume, etc; · Professional strength: significant achievements over the years, major transactions / litigation completed in the past 12 months; · Practice Area: practice areas layout, new practice areas in the past 12 months; · Client relationship: key clients, new clients in the past 12 months; · Development path: market positioning and development strategy. The list of rising lawyers was chosen on the basis of a combination of the following: · significant achievements; · important deals or cases; · significant work in the last 12 months; · clients the candidate has acted for; · significant accolades the candidate has received for work in the form of public recognition; · client comments and colleague comments. 长三角地区律所排名基于律所基本情况、专业实力、业务布局、客户关系及发展路径等指标进行评定。 · 基本情况：人员数量、市场规模、业务体量等； · 专业实力：历年的重要成就、过去12个月完成的重大交易/诉讼； · 业务布局：业务领域布局、过去12个月新增的业务领域； · 客户关系：代表性客户、过去12个月新增的客户； · 发展路径：市场定位和发展策略。 长三角地区律师新星排名基于以下方面进行评定。 · 主要成就 · 代理过的重大交易或案件 · 过去12个月的主要工作内容 · 候选人的主要客户 · 候选人所获得的奖项 · 客户评价和同事评价 |
