Zhonglun W&D’s latest addition to its list of offices seems to indicate that the national expansion of leading firms will continue to accelerate over 2010. Less than a year after its launch in Riyadh, the firm has received regulatory approval to proceed with its office opening in Wuhan.
“As economic activity is picking up rapidly in Wuhan, launching a presence in the central China region to tackle business flowing to and from the Yangtze Delta River region is most significant to our practice,” said Chen Wen, managing partner of Zhonglun W&D.
Partners Wang Aiguo and Xiong Guosheng have both been relocated to the new location. The Wuhan branch, currently staffed with ten lawyers who have been both relocated and recruited locally, will focus on corporate, real estate, infrastructure, labour and finance work.
With its GDP breaking almost US$58bn in 2009, Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province and a major commercial centre in central China, may very well be another target destination for domestic firms looking to expand. Beijing Dacheng, Kangda, Zhong Lun and Guangzhou D&S have all established presences in Wuhan.
“Our new launch will definitely be a trigger for more firms to infiltrate the Wuhan market but we welcome the competition,” said Chen.
Zhonglun W&D now has offices in Wuhan, Shanghai, Chengdu, Shijiazhuang, Tianjin, Hong Kong, London, Paris and Riyadh. The firm is currently waiting for regulatory approval to open in Taiyuan in Shanxi province.
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