新加坡“四大”律师事务所之一，安盛律师事务所（Allen & Gledhill），近日新设上海代表处。这是该所在中国的第一家分支机构，也是在东盟之外的第一家分支机构。
上海代表处的业务范围包括一般商事服务、并购、合资、银行金融、房地产、私募基金及财富管理、仲裁，以及合规。将由具备本地牌照，且熟悉跨境业务的律师为客户展开服务。
这家新代表处再次扩宽了安盛的服务网络。目前该所在缅甸、越南设立有办公室，并在马来西亚与Rahmat Lim & Partners律所联营。
安盛近期刚刚和此前的印度尼西亚联盟伙伴Soemadipradja & Taher分道扬镳，但准备在雅加达开设一家名为AGI Legal的全新联盟律所，由新晋升合伙人Aris Budi Prasetiyo领导，该所预计于第一季度内落地。
目前的服务网络将“使我们能够为中国和东盟客户提供亚洲全域的综合性法律服务”，安盛说道。
安盛此举是新加坡律所大举展开区域布局策略中的一环。去年9月，德尊律师事务所的区域服务网——Drew Network Asia，将泰国最大所Tilleke & Gibbins纳为会员；两家规模稍小的新加坡律所，JTJB和PDLegal，也都宣布了进军泰国的计划。
去年6月，中国司法部曾公布批准5家外国律师事务所设立驻华代表处，安盛便是其中之一。其他几家是夏礼文、摩根路易斯（都在深圳），马来西亚金圻律师事务所（在海口），以及塞浦路斯艾瑞蒂律师事务所（在重庆）。
不久前，新加坡立杰律师事务所刚刚迎来国际争议业务专家丘健雄律师加盟其上海代表处。
就在1月25日，中国与新加坡互免签证的政策落地，将于2024年2月9日(农历除夕)正式生效。届时，双方持普通护照人员可免签入境对方国家从事旅游、探亲、商务等私人事务，停留不超过30日。两国人员往来预期进一步加强。
Singapore’s A&G enters China with new office in Shanghai
Singapore Big Four law firm Allen & Gledhill has opened a new office in Shanghai, its first office in the PRC as well as outside the ASEAN region.
The new office expands the firm’s regional network, including offices in Myanmar and Vietnam and an alliance with Rahmat Lim & Partners in Malaysia.
Allen & Gledhill also recently split with its erstwhile Indonesia alliance partner, Soemadipradja & Taher, but is set to launch a new Jakarta alliance firm called AGI Legal, helmed by newly promoted partner Aris Budi Prasetiyo, this quarter.
This network will “enable us to provide clients in China and ASEAN with a comprehensive suite of legal services throughout Asia,” Allen & Gledhill said in a statement.
The Shanghai office will advise on general corporate, M&A, joint venture, banking and finance, real estate, private equity and wealth, arbitration and compliance. These services are delivered by locally qualified lawyers with experience in cross-border matters, the firm added.
The office launch comes at a time when Singapore firms have been pursuing a regionalization strategy. In September last year, Drew & Napier’s regional law network, Drew Network Asia, added Thailand’s largest law firm, Tilleke & Gibbins, as a member. Two smaller firms, JTJB and PDLegal, also announced expansions in Thailand.
Allen & Gledhill was one of five foreign law firms allowed to set up representative offices in China, according to an announcement from the country’s Ministry of Justice in June last year. The others were HFW and Morgan, Lewis ＆ Bockius (both Shenzhen), Malaysia’s Ricky Tan & Co (Haikou) and Cyprus’ Areti Charidemou & Associates (Chongqing)
