经过近一年的商谈及过渡合作，北京市京都律师事务所深圳分所与原广东闻天律师事务所完成合并重组。新的京都（深圳）律师事务所主任由原广东闻天律师事务所主任侯志纯律师担任，拥有执业律师及辅助人员共计70余人。北京市京都律师事务所深圳分所于2000年设立，合并前有约20位专业人员。

As competition in the more developed markets gets stiffer, Beijing and Shanghai law firms are looking south for growth. King & Capital is the latest Beijing firm to have expanded its presence in Southern China; the firm's Shenzhen office, which was set up in 2000, has recently merged with local firm Guangdong Wentian, and by doing so has boosted its total staff headcount in the city from 20 to 70.

The newly combined Shenzhen office is now led by Wentian's managing partner Hou Zhichun, who focuses on finance, real estate and construction. The merger process took almost a year from the preliminary discussion to the final integration of the two teams. King & Capital's Beijing partner Chang Junfeng sees the merger as a key step in the firm's transition to becoming a full-service practice in Shenzhen.

"Currently, Shenzhen's legal services market is growing although at a more gradual rate compared to Beijing and Shanghai. However, the city's future development plan implicates a great potential for law firms in the coming years," said Chang.

The firm is contemplating possible expansion into other cities in the next two to three years, but plans are yet to be made.

In recent months, Han Kun, JT & N, Zhong Lun and Fangda, among others, have grown their Shenzhen teams by appointing new partners. Yingke is currently recruiting lawyers for its soon-to-be launched Shenzhen branch. Dacheng and Grandall, on the other hand, have strengthened their presences in the southern regions by adding new partners in Kunming. ALB

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