As its 10th anniversary approaches, Chengdu-headquartered Tahota has expanded its national network with two new locations - Dalian and Chongqing.  Having already twice won the ALB China Western Law Firm of the Year award, the opening of the Chongqing office, in particular, will further strengthen its leading position in the Western China legal market.

"The newly built Chengdu-Chongqing high-speed railway has shortened the travel time between the two cities to just one hour. However, having a Chongqing branch is of strategic importance to us," said Cheng Shoutai, the founder and managing partner of Tahota. "The synergy and interaction between the development of Chengdu and the other major regional centre, Chongqing, will generate incredible growth opportunities for firms that can straddle the two [areas]."

Tahota, one of the largest firms by headcount and revenue in South-West China, joins a number of other firms that have offices in both cities, including Chongqing-based Zhonghao, King & Wood, Dacheng, and Sichuan Yingji. In the past few years the firm has achieved strong growth, reporting a year-on-year growth of 66% in revenue for the first quarter of this year.

Tahota has been retained to provide local legal services and advice on several high-stake and complex transactions, such as the newly initiated Chengdu International Commerce Centre project which will create an epoch-making new landmark on Chengdu's skyline, Sichuan Changhong's US$440m convertible bonds issuance, the restructuring of United Eagle Airlines and the establishment of Chengdu Airline, and Guibao Science Technology's IPO on ChiNext.

"Our strategy is to benefit and service the narrowing wealth gap between the eastern regions and the western regions. We expect a tremendous level of legal services and advice will be required in the course of this transformation. We are facing new opportunities and are standing at the threshold of a new phase of market dynamics," Cheng said, adding he is bullish on the prospects for the rest of this year and beyond.

In addition, Tahota has increased its international capacity in recent years. It has set up a representative office in Hong Kong, become a member of the Sino-Global Legal Alliance, and recruited a number of overseas-qualified lawyers and consultants. It is also actively seeking cooperation ties with foreign firms, with US firm Orrick, Singapore's Lee & Lee and Hong Kong firm Woo Kwan Lee & Lo among several firms that have already entered into collaboration with Tahota. ALB

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