Beijing-based Guantao Law Firm has formally announced that it is merging with Zhongmao Law Firm in Shanghai.

The resulting firm will be known as “观韬中茂” in Chinese and the English name will remain “Guantao Law Firm”.  The merger comes after a five-year alliance between the firms. According Cui Liguo, Guantao’s former managing director, Zhongmao will bring about 70 lawyers, which will give the new firm around 500 lawyers and 100 partners. “We will further consolidate our respective strengths and client bases in the Yangtze River Delta region to really convert our Shanghai office from a window office to a platform one,” said Cui in an interview with ALB.

Cui and Sheng Leiming, the erstwhile managing director of Zhongmao, will co-head the management committee of the new firm, which will focus on six practice areas including capital markets, M&A, bankruptcies and insolvencies, infrastructure and energy, banking and finance, and international trade.

Guantao Zhongmao has 14 domestic and international offices. Earlier in February, Guantao’s Hong Kong office officially merged with Peter C.Wong, Chow & Chow, a move that was seen as a step towards the firm’s internationalisation plan.