Azmi & Associates has ventured into China via a strategic alliance with Zhong Yin.
The alliance, a non-exclusive agreement initiated by Azmi, is part of the Malaysian firm’s response to the influx of Sino-Malaysian transactions. Earlier this year, Azmi launched a Chinese-language website and its China Desk service. The firm also created a team of lawyers with Chinese language capabilities, including Cantonese and Hokkien.
Azmi sees its alliance with Zhong Yin as a propellant for its Chinese ambitions. Having already spoken a number of other firms in Beijing, the firm plans to entrench its market presence by forming more alliances with top-tier Chinese firms and setting up an office in either Beijing or Shanghai in the near future.
“The decision to enter into a strategic alliance with Zhong Yin was based on our professional similarities. We both share very similar expertise, focus areas and clientele,” said Jeffrey Tan, partner and head of Chinadesk at Azmi. “What we liked about Zhong Yin was also their work philosophy and client-oriented approach,” he added.
Azmi advises primarily on project finance, M&A, large-scale infrastructure projects and IPO matters. “I think we are on a level playing field with Zhong Yin. We see a lot of synergy between us because we share the same corporate culture, work philosophy and vision. We also serve Malaysian government-linked investment companies and Zhong Yin serves state-owned enterprises in China,” said Tan.
The Malaysian government has recently entered into agreements with China encouraging infrastructure, mining and technology projects. Azmi, which represented the Malaysian government on such agreements, sees the experience as a platform to better understand Chinese businesses. Monitoring the market trends, Tan foresees that more Chinese companies will be investing into and launching their IPOs in Malaysia and likewise, Malaysian companies will also increasingly venture into China given its market size and cost efficiencies.
On top of its existing and upcoming alliances with Chinese firms, Azmi is a member of TerraLex, enjoying formal relationships with TerraLex members like AllBright and Hylands.
Domestically, Zhong Yin also launched another alliance with LiaoNing Fada Law Firm, one of the largest firms in Liaoning. Zhong Yin’s ambitions to take on North-East China are manifest in this alliance.
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