由北向南，ALB分别探访了太原、合肥、武汉、长沙四座中部地区城市，并聚焦于“创新”这一话题。
在相对传统的法律服务市场中，律师事务所有可能实现创新吗？如果答案是肯定的，他们该如何做到创新？带着这样的问题，ALB和来自四座中部地区城市的律所管理者展开对话。他们以实例证明了创新的可能性，也分享了攻克挑战之道，并且展望了下一步的创新计划。
山西太原：与客户共同成长
山西省会太原是进入中部地区的第一座重要城市，近年，这座以能源行业为发展底色的城市积极探索转型，因此为当地法律服务创新奠定了基础。
辛瑞律师是北京大成（太原）律师事务所管理委员会执行主任，他告诉ALB，目前大成太原在信托、不良资产处置，以及财富管理与传承业务领域，在当地建立起了最具差异度的服务。
辛律师具体介绍道，在信托业务领域，山西信托目前是省内唯一一家信托机构，而大成太原为其95%的业务提供法律服务。这样宝贵的服务机会帮助大成太原在信托领域占据了市场领先地位，并“逐步实现了信托法律服务的精细化和专业化，形成了自己的服务标准和流程，更实现了法律服务的产品化”。
在不良资产处置业务领域，大成太原的差异化优势同样来自于对相关客户十余年的深度服务。辛瑞律师介绍道，从最初的四大资产管理公司山西省分公司，到近年来诸多重要银行业金融机构的山西及太原分行，大成太原几乎实现了这一领域客户的全覆盖。“我们积累了专业法律知识和实践经验，对法律及交易规则能够深刻把握，形成了卓有成效的工作模式。”辛律师说。
而在财富管理与传承业务领域，辛律师回忆到，早在2017年，大成太原就成立了财富管理办公室及专业团队，为省内金融、保险机构等进行了几十场讲座、咨询和培训，“逐步总结出非一线城市财富管理服务的特点和趋势，在兼具领域领先视野的同时又不失本土特色”。
当然，创新过程中难免遭遇挑战，辛瑞律师认为最需直面的是律所间的激烈竞争，而这涉及到人才、品牌、业务水平等多个层次。就此，律所的应对也要是全方位的。
此外，创新之路一旦踏上就很难停步，辛瑞律师分享道，未来大成太原将在三个领域持续探索创新。一是借助山西在新材料、煤炭机械、重型机械等重点制造业领域的优势条件，拓展服务半径，赋能新产业发展；二是伴随各省属企业纷纷开展合规业务，大成太原也设立了企业合规研究中心，未来将整合资源，打造一支专业团队。此外，“大成太原也将瞄准IPO业务领域。随着经济发展和市场开放，将有越来越多企业需要IPO法律服务”。
安徽合肥：深度服务本地市场
一千公里外，合肥是中部地区发展起来的另一座“明星城市”。有“创投城市”之称的合肥通过结合政府及市场力量，吸引一系列高新科技企业、产业链落地，过程中无疑也需要法律服务的升级发展。
胡正安律师是北京德恒（合肥）律师事务所主任，他指出，德恒合肥自创办以来就立足于安徽本地资源，建立了广泛的客户群，包含了科大讯飞、长鑫存储等本土明星企业，正是与本地发展“深度绑定”的实践帮助律所找到了创新突破口，而这些创新主要集中在三个领域。
一是证券与基金业务领域。胡律师坦言，中部地区在资本市场及相关法律服务方面相对落后，德恒合肥于是着重深耕安徽具备优势的半导体与集成电路、新能源、智能制造、人工智能等领域，近年来服务了壹石通、芯基微装、元琛科技、中巨芯、准北绿金等代表性IPO项目。此外德恒合肥还扩展了服务范畴，打造了基金、证券、投行、家族财富管理和国际业务等完整业务体系。
另一个领域则是知识产权与科技成果转化。实际上，过去几年合肥及安徽的快速发展正根植于当地丰富的教育及科研资源，德恒合肥因此和在皖科研院所和科技产业园区保持了合作关系。与此同时在知识产权服务中特别强调质量控制，并利用技术硬件保障服务效率，越发获得了客户认可和市场口碑。
第三个领域是企业拯救与破产业务。伴随市场需求不断增加，德恒合肥快速设立相关业务部门并投入办案实践之中，迄今已经处理各类破产案件50余件。胡律师指出，让德恒合肥在这个领域脱颖而出的原因在于独树一帜的办案思路：“我们坚持‘能重整绝不清算’的原则，把企业拯救放在首位，成功重整了军工、机械制造、房地产开发、文旅等行业的多个项目。”
谈到下一步的创新“赛道”，胡律师表示德恒合肥已有所思考。一要关注企业合规业务领域，尤其与资本市场、上市公司相关的合规服务；二是要探索家族财富管理业务领域。最后则是税法领域，“税务问题一直伴随着企业从产生到注销，与企业的经营利润息息相关，需要专业税务律师来解决复杂的税务问题”，胡律师说。
湖北武汉：以“长期主义”支持创新
目光继续南移来到湖北武汉，作为九省通衢的中部重镇，这座省会城市的法律服务市场也迎来越来越多的创新色彩。
李涛律师是湖北维力律师事务所主任，他告诉ALB，维力作为一家已有近40年历史的老牌武汉所，特别在劳动法、反垄断与竞争法两个领域建立起了差异性优势，而此种优势恰恰源自对本地市场的深度观察，以及面对新问题时快速的反应及创新能力。
他特别举出了劳动法领域的例子。维力的吴胜利律师从1998年起便服务于湖北省人力资源和社会保障厅、省总工会、省医保局，在人力资源、劳动权利保障、社会保险的整个行业链条上形成了专业闭环，并深度参与了地方就业、用工、社保、医保等相关立法、规范性文件的制定工作。在2020年新冠疫情爆发之际，他带领律师及时编写了《疫情防控法律手册》并免费向公众发放，还为政府提供了复工、劳动关系相关法律意见，极大巩固了维力在这一领域强有力的专业美誉。
对于在相对传统的市场展开创新，北京植德律师事务所武汉办公室负责合伙人张萍律师则有更为切身的感受。2022年她选择“再创业”，参与设立植德武汉，目的就是发挥律所“公司制、一体化”的优势，汇集全所专业资源，为武汉，乃至中部地区客户提供全周期、立体化、一站式的综合法律服务，让武汉市场的客户与成熟、高效并具备创新力的法律服务相对接。
张律师说，开业当天，植德武汉就承办了一场“新时代、新青年、新机遇——中部地区青年律师创新与共享论坛”，针对资本市场、数据合规法律服务展开分享，而这就是过去一年中植德武汉重点开拓的两个创新业务领域。
“资本市场业务虽然是传统业务，但对植德武汉6位合伙人来讲是全新的领域。为此，植德总部将有一定湖北客户基础的北京办公室资本市场部合伙人郑超律师及其工作组的资深律师长期派驻到武汉，植德武汉办公室合伙人和他们联合拜访了武汉市经信局、金融办、多家银行、各类中介机构和多家市场主体，包括光谷生物城、武汉软件新城以及武汉大学和华中科技大学的产业园区的优秀企业，协助武汉企业法律顾问协会、湖北省和武汉市中小企业协会展开培训，让公益和品牌先行，用专业打动客户，目前已经签约了三单IPO业务。”
而在数据合规领域，开业后，植德武汉立刻联合植德深圳合伙人、公司合规部牵头人王艺律师等多地合伙人正式启动相关业务。“我们敏锐观察到武汉具备发展这一领域的土壤：湖北省多年蝉联中部数字经济发展第一省，且武汉聚集了诸多国家级空间地理信息中心，带动了卫星测绘、汽车无人驾驶领域的发展，等等。”再次，为武汉仲裁委设立数字经济仲裁院建言献策，邀请中国政法大学李爱君教授做《数据产权保护法律制度研究》课题开题研讨会，通过与专业机构联合举办“企业数字化转型过程中面临的数据合规新挑战》《元宇宙产业政策法规研究与争议解决》专题沙龙论坛，多次邀请植德政府监管与合规领域负责人、植德深圳办公室合伙人王艺律师到武汉进行沙龙分享和议题讨论，植德武汉合伙人主动参与深圳数据交易所举办的数据交易合规师课程学习，以真诚、踏实的投入积极推动数据合规新型业务拓展创新，目前已经开拓了数单业务。
不过，过去一年的新型业务开拓让张萍律师深刻感受到在传统中寻求新意的挑战。“目前武汉本地客户对于新业务的付费意愿较北上深偏弱，愿意进场开拓新领域的律师一定都是长期主义者，我们需要伴随客户成长，风雨同舟，慢慢去孵化相关市场。”她坦言。
另一方面，人才端的压力也不小。“目前让武汉本地合伙人完全放弃既有业务领域，从零开始学习、拓展和承办新业务，投入将是很大的，时间也会漫长一些，效果也不一定最好，所以植德武汉很大程度上是借助植德全所合伙人的专业优势和行业标签，无缝调配各地办公室专业人员组成最匹配的项目组来开拓和承办新业务。但长期来看，我们必须培养本土人才。”
人才和持续投入的缺乏也恰恰是李涛律师对于创新挑战的看法。“中部市场整体容量有限，律师更偏好多元化、多方向拓展业务，逐利性较高，缺少专才。”他坦言。确实，生存和创新有时可能会成为一场零和游戏，就此维力给出的方案是，“推行律师团队与专业委员会并行的路径，试图在服务利润追逐与知识管理成果持续产出之间达成平衡，并以律所公共案源作为专业委员会知识管理工作的成本补贴，以长期主义精神，坚持在某一方向上的学术研究与服务产品研发工作”。
谈到下一步的创新计划，李涛律师分享道，最近维力重组了知识产权法律服务团队，“吸引了一批优秀的版权、专利、商业秘密团队加盟，与之前的竞争法与反垄断团队进行整合，将在文化产业、数字经济、医疗专利、商业秘密保护、高级别自动驾驶等方向上发力深耕”。
此外，他认为创新也更多是种不畏惧变化的心态：“我们感觉到中国整体的社会转型，经济发展模式将发生深刻变化，变革为以高科技产业与数字技术为驱动。法律服务业应该及时更新专业研究方向、推出相关产业与领域的服务产品，迎接与拥抱新时代经济周期下的变化与趋势。”
而对于植德武汉，张萍律师指出，他们会在资本市场、数据合规领域继续深耕，尤其后者，将特别关注汽车产业、新能源产业、产业互联网行业，重点就公共数据、测绘数据、卫星数据、工业数据的开发利用贡献法律智慧。
此外，还有三个新领域已进入植德武汉的“雷达”之中，让他们摩拳擦掌，准备开拓出新的市场。
“一是投融综合服务，目前植德已经在这个方向进行了有效尝试，提供帮助企业做路演、融资、对接投资标的等一系列新服务，相当于打通了律所和客户的资源，营造出一个投融资生态圈，这样的模式已经移植到武汉市场。” 二是合规业务，尤其针对企业家的包括税务合规、劳动用工、刑事合规、保障家族财产稳定性在内的综合性合规业务，是我们要探索的方向。
“第三是医疗大健康板块，疫情在武汉的爆发让更多人关注起健康问题，这个赛道是投资热点，也是法律服务需求的增长点，植德武汉在植德生命科学与医疗健康行业委员会的支持下，聚焦生物医药、医疗器械、医疗美容、医药流通、生物农业、健康食品、健康服务这些千亿级别以上的产业集群，做好市场开拓工作。”张萍律师说。
湖南长沙：深度理解客户需求
作为中国近年来的“网红城市”，湖南省会长沙的人口总数和GDP增量令人瞩目，并且在制造业与智能制造、生物科技、新能源、芯片、新消费、大文娱等产业板块持续发力，给当地法律服务市场创新发展带来机遇。
汤庆律师是湖南华夏方圆律师事务所副主任，她所在律所特别深度服务于本地的制造及新能源产业，过程中“一直在探索和实践涉外法律服务、企业合规保障、企业数字化转型三大创新领域”。
在涉外法律服务领域，“很多中国企业在‘一带一路’十年间借助全球市场实现了快速增长，但风险也如影随形”。通过探索，华夏方圆发展出了12大业务领域来支撑客户全球业务开展，包括贸易合规、代理协议、销售合同、跨境投融资、跨境数据合规、劳动雇佣等。今年，华夏方圆还搭建了“Mew Round”品牌研讨会，就出海过程中的各类问题展开分享研讨。
而在企业合规保障领域，汤律师指出，近年伴随新规不断出台，合规压力增强，不少企业陷入了“头痛医头脚痛医脚”的情况。就此，华夏方圆在帮助企业搭建制度的同时也监督制度落地，“已经在某些制造型企业建立起涵盖九大体系的合规制度，特别在个人信息保护、数据跨境合规、国际贸易合规、经营刑事合规等新领域探索了落地实践”。
近年，华夏方圆也把目光投向了支持企业法务部门数字化转型之上，目前已经打造出LAS智能法务管理平台，并在头部制造业公司展开使用。“此块创新业务横跨了AI和传统法律事务，且需要深度融合，极少有律所尝试。我们也将持续优化各板块的智能化能力。”汤律师说。
刘智鹏律师是北京德恒（长沙）律师事务所副主任，他则告诉ALB，借助于湖南经济发展的沃土和当地企业的全新需求，德恒长沙在知识产权、破产与企业拯救两大板块进行了创新探索。
刘律师告诉ALB，知识产权业务在德恒长沙虽已发展了15年之久，但仍在不断演进。“这背后离不开湖南社会经济发展的沃土。湖南创新氛围浓厚，对知识产权法律服务有了更多、更高、更新的需求。”目前，德恒长沙深度服务于现代农业、工程机械、文化旅游、食品加工等重点行业，并为隆平高科、三一重工、湖南卫视、金健米业等企业长期提供知识产权法律服务。
破产与企业拯救则是另一类新需求，刘律师说，在这个“蓝海”领域，德恒长沙以创新的办案思路引领市场，包括“建立破产案件系统模块建设；通过‘互联网+’创新债权人会议模式，并利用数据优势为破产财产价值识别提供动态解决方案；利用重整投融资平台整合优质资源，快速完成企业投资人招募、提供融资对接等”。
创新过程中，刘智鹏律师坦言，作为中部市场的一员，长沙律所也面临着市场拓荒、人才引进等方面的共性困难，“新的服务产品和模式与客户需求、可接受度之间需要磨合；此外具备成熟经验的服务人员和团队难以引进”。对此，背靠强有力的德恒体系成为了底气来源，尤其是“通过与其他办公室同事的合作快速实现产品和服务在本地的复制和优化”，刘律师说。
对此汤庆律师也深有同感。她指出，创新的最大挑战在于人才，尤其“对商业逻辑有更深度思考和实践的法律人才”。此外，在服务企业数字化转型方面，寻找兼懂法律、IT和AI算法的人才就更困难。但汤律师相信，“这些背后始终还是律所是否愿意持续投入的问题”。
此外，湖南法律市场的特性也带来挑战。汤律师坦言，湖南大部分律师服务于C端或者小B端客户，且从事传统业务的人员占比巨大，再加上“后疫情”时代市场遭遇冲击，律师在应对“内卷”的同时可能更难有心力投入创新。目前，华夏方圆升级提出了向行业纵深领域塑造律所品牌的策略，更加关注于对具体行业的深度理解、最佳实践、价值创造，讲述全新的品牌故事。
同时，华夏方圆也在积极思考下一步的创新之路。汤律师介绍道，律所的重点将是“逐步拓展到新能源全产业链……我们曾助力风电头部企业从创业到上市，提供了全体系法律服务，基于此，我们会逐步建立起覆盖氢光锂电等全方位的低碳绿色经济产业链法律服务”。
德恒长沙的未来创新之路也将瞄准产业、法律业务两条路径。刘智鹏律师介绍道：“产业方面，我们会在轨道交通装备、数字、新能源、人工智能等领域作更深更广的布局”。
“在新业务领域，我们将加大对合规业务的投入。德恒长沙现已为6家企业提供过全过程的合规管理服务，同时与外部公司建立了战略合作关系，可以为企业合规建设提供认证服务。”刘律师说。
ALB CHINA REGIONAL REPORT: PROMOTING INNOVATION
Traveling from north to south, ALB explores four central Chinese cities — Taiyuan, Hefei, Wuhan, and Changsha — engaging in discussions on the theme of "innovation" with local lawyers.
Is it conceivable for law firms to introduce innovation in the conventional legal services market? If the answer is affirmative, what approaches can firms adopt to achieve this? Keeping this query in focus, ALB engages in conversations with law firm leaders from four central Chinese cities. These leaders provide examples to affirm the feasibility of innovation, explore strategies to overcome challenges, and outline their prospective plans for future innovation.
TAIYUAN, SHANXI: THRIVING ALONGSIDE CLIENTS
Taiyuan, the capital of Shanxi province, serves as the initial prominent city visitors encounter when entering the central China region. In recent years, the city, where the energy industry has been the primary driver of development, has actively pursued transformation, laying the groundwork for the innovation of local legal services.
Xin Rui, the executive director of the management committee at Dacheng Law Offices (Taiyuan), informs ALB that the Taiyuan office has established its most competitive services locally in the fields of trust, non-performing assets disposal, and wealth management and succession.
In the realm of trust services. Shanxi Trust stands as the sole trust firm within Shanxi province, with Dacheng Taiyuan office providing legal services for 95% of its business. These valuable opportunities have propelled the Taiyuan office to become a market leader in the trust field, allowing it to "gradually achieve the refinement and professionalization of trust legal services, form its own service standards and processes, and realize the productization of legal services."
Regarding non-performing assets disposal, Dacheng Taiyuan office leverages its distinctive advantages gained from over a decade of in-depth services to relevant clients. According to Xin, from the early days serving the Shanxi branches of four major asset management companies to recent years covering the Shanxi and Taiyuan branches of significant banking and financial institutions, Dacheng Taiyuan office has achieved nearly full coverage of clients in this field. Xin notes, "We have accumulated professional legal knowledge and practical experience and developed a deep grasp of laws and transaction rules, forming an effective working model."
In wealth management and succession, Xin recollects that Dacheng Taiyuan office established a wealth management unit and professional team as early as 2017, conducting dozens of seminars, consultations, and training sessions for financial and insurance institutions in Shanxi. "We have gradually summarized the characteristics and trends of wealth management services in non-first-tier cities, maintaining a pioneering vision in this field without losing local characteristics."
Certainly, challenges are inevitable during innovation. For Xin, the primary challenge that firms must confront is the intense competition among themselves, encompassing various facets such as talent, brand, and professional competency. Consequently, firms must respond comprehensively.
Once the journey of innovation begins, stopping becomes difficult. Xin shares that Dacheng Taiyuan office will continue innovation efforts in three areas going forward. First, the Taiyuan office will leverage Shanxi's advantages in key manufacturing fields such as new materials, coal machinery, and heavy machinery to expand service coverage and empower the development of new industries. Second, as many provincial enterprises shift focus to compliance, the Taiyuan office has established an enterprise compliance research center, intending to integrate resources and build a professional team in the future. Additionally, "we will also target IPO business. With economic growth and market liberalization, more and more companies will need IPO legal services."
HEFEI, ANHUI: DELIVERING COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES
A thousand kilometers away, Hefei stands as another "star city" developed in the central China region. Recognized as the "Venture Capital City," Hefei has enticed numerous high-tech enterprises and industrial chains to establish their presence, facilitated by a combination of governmental and market forces. This process undeniably demands the advancement of legal services.
Hu Zhengan, the director of DeHeng Law Offices (Hefei), highlights that since its inception, the Hefei office has been strategically leveraging local resources in Anhui to cultivate a broad client base, including local luminaries like iFlytek and Changxin Memory Technologies. This "in-depth tie-up" with local development has propelled the Hefei office to achieve breakthroughs in innovation across three main areas.
The first area is securities and fund business. Hu acknowledges that the central region lags in terms of capital markets and related legal services. To address this, DeHeng Hefei office has honed its capabilities in areas where Anhui holds advantages, such as semiconductors, integrated circuits, new energy, smart manufacturing, and artificial intelligence. The office has successfully managed several representative IPO projects in recent years, expanding its service coverage to encompass funds, securities, investment banking, family wealth management, and cross-border business.
Another focal area is intellectual property and the commercialization of scientific and technological achievements. The rapid development of Hefei and Anhui, in general, is rooted in rich local education and scientific research resources. Consequently, DeHeng Hefei office has maintained collaborations with scientific research institutes and science and technology industrial parks in Anhui. Emphasizing quality control in IP services and utilizing technology hardware for service efficiency has earned the office recognition and a reputable standing in the market.
The third area is corporate rescue and bankruptcy practice. Responding to increasing market demand, DeHeng Hefei office promptly established relevant business units. To date, it has handled over 50 bankruptcy cases of various types. Hu explains that what distinguishes the Hefei office in this field is its unique approach: "We prioritize corporate rescue and only resort to liquidation when reorganization is impracticable. We have successfully reorganized projects in industries such as military, machinery manufacturing, real estate development, and culture and tourism."
Discussing upcoming fields for innovation, Hu outlines the office's plans. First, the focus will be on corporate compliance practice, particularly compliance services related to capital markets and listed companies. Second, the office will venture into family wealth management business. Tax law is identified as another key area, with Hu noting, "Tax issues accompany an enterprise throughout its lifecycle, from inception to deregistration, and are closely tied to its operating profits. Businesses require specialized tax lawyers to address complex tax issues."
WUHAN, HUBEI: FOSTERING INNOVATION WITH ‘LONG-TERMISM’
Directing our attention southward, we arrive in Wuhan, Hubei province, a major central city and gateway to nine provinces. The legal services market in this provincial capital is witnessing a surge in innovative activities.
Li Tao, director of Hubei Winning Law Firm, shares with ALB that as a well-established Wuhan firm with nearly 40 years of history, they have attained leadership in labour law and antitrust and competition law. These strengths arise from their ability to respond swiftly and innovate in the face of new challenges.
An exemplary case is in labour law. Serving entities like the Department of Human Resources and Social Security of Hubei Province, the Hubei Provincial Federation of Trade Unions, and the Healthcare Security Administration of Hubei Province since 1998, Winning lawyers demonstrated agility during the Covid pandemic. They swiftly compiled the Legal Manual for Pandemic Prevention and Control, distributed it freely to the public, and provided the government with legal opinions on resumption of work, solidifying the firm's professional reputation in this field.
Zhang Ping, director of the Wuhan office of Merits & Tree Law Offices, shares a personal experience in innovating on a relatively traditional market. In 2022, she led the establishment of the Wuhan office, which hosted a Youth Innovation Forum on its launch day, focusing primarily on capital markets and data compliance sharing—two innovative practice areas developed in the past year.
In capital markets practice, a relatively traditional field for Wuhan, the Wuhan office collaborated with its Beijing-based senior partner to explore opportunities. They visited various local entities, including the Wuhan Municipal Bureau of Economy and Informatization, financial offices, tax authorities, banks, industrial parks, software new towns, and small and medium-sized enterprise associations, conducting training to attract clients. Zhang notes, "Currently, we have already won three projects."
In the field of data compliance, the Wuhan office promptly established a digital economy research institute. Recognizing Wuhan's potential for developing this practice area due to Hubei province's leading position in digital economy development in central China, the office focused on projects related to satellite surveying, automobile, autonomous driving, etc. By investing in innovation, the Wuhan office secured two relevant projects.
However, Zhang acknowledges the challenges of innovating in a traditional environment. Local clients in Wuhan may lack the financial capacity for new services, requiring a long-term vision for those entering the market to explore new areas. Talent pressure is also a concern, with the need to groom local talents for sustained development.
Li views talent shortage and insufficient continuous investment as challenges to innovation. He emphasizes the need to balance profit-seeking with continuous knowledge management output and proposes the promotion of lawyer teams and professional committees simultaneously.
Looking ahead, Li reveals Winning's plan for innovation, including the reorganization of its IP legal services team and a focus on areas such as the cultural industry, digital economy, medical patents, trade secret protection, and advanced autonomous driving.
Zhang of Merits & Tree outlines the Wuhan office's attention to smart autonomous driving, new energy, surveying and mapping, satellites, industrial data, and public data. Additionally, compliance practice, comprehensive investment and financing services, and medical and healthcare are new areas on their radar for future market development.
CHANGSHA, HUNAN: DELVING INTO CLIENT NEEDS WITH DEPTH
Changsha, the capital of Hunan province and dubbed China's "Internet Celebrity City" in recent years, stands as a testament to impressive growth in both total population and GDP. The city continues to experience robust growth across various industrial sectors, including smart manufacturing, biotech, new energy, chips, new consumption, media, and entertainment. This boom creates a fertile ground for innovative developments in the local legal market.
Tang Qing, deputy director of FineLaw Firm, emphasizes the firm's commitment to "exploring and working in three innovative fields of cross-border legal services, corporate compliance, and business digital transformation."
In cross-border legal services, FineLaw has developed 12 major practice areas to support clients in global business operations. This includes trade compliance, agency agreements, sales contracts, cross-border investment and financing, cross-border data compliance, and labor and employment. The firm organized a seminar to discuss challenges emerging during the global expansion of Chinese companies.
In the realm of corporate compliance, Tang notes the increased compliance pressure on enterprises due to recent regulatory changes. FineLaw not only helps companies establish rules but also supervises their implementation. Tang highlights their role in assisting manufacturing companies in establishing comprehensive compliance frameworks covering major systems, including personal information protection, cross-border data compliance, international trade compliance, and business criminal compliance.
FineLaw also focuses on supporting the digital transformation of corporate in-house departments, deploying the LAS smart legal affairs management platform in leading manufacturing companies. Tang emphasizes the need for deep integration between AI and traditional legal affairs in this innovative business, aiming to optimize the intelligent capabilities of each module continually.
Liu Zhipeng, deputy director of DeHeng Law Offices (Changsha), shares the firm's innovation in the areas of intellectual property (IP) and bankruptcy and corporate rescue. Despite having an IP practice for 15 years, the Changsha office continues to evolve, benefiting from Hunan's conducive environment for innovation. They provide in-depth services in modern agriculture, engineering machinery, culture and tourism, food processing, and other key industries. The office offers long-term IP legal services to local heavyweights such as Yuan Long Ping High-Tech Agriculture, Sany Heavy Industry, and Hunan Television.
In the field of bankruptcy and corporate rescue, DeHeng Changsha office leads the market with innovative case handling ideas. This includes establishing bankruptcy case system modules, using the Internet for innovative creditors' meetings, leveraging data advantages for dynamic solutions in identifying the value of bankruptcy assets, and utilizing the restructuring investment and financing platform to integrate high-quality resources and recruit corporate investors swiftly.
Both Tang and Liu acknowledge the challenges of innovation in the central market. Tang emphasizes the need for legal talents with in-depth thinking and a practical understanding of commercial logic, especially those who understand law, IT, and AI algorithms for serving the digital transformation of businesses. They agree that continuous investment is crucial for overcoming these challenges.
FineLaw, recognizing the characteristics of Hunan's legal market, is enhancing its brand strategy by building a presence in sub-divided industry segments, focusing on developing an in-depth understanding of specific industries, formulating best practices, creating value, and telling new brand stories.
Looking forward, FineLaw plans to expand into the entire new energy industry chain, providing comprehensive legal services for the low-carbon, green economic industry chain. DeHeng Changsha office aims for deeper involvement in industries like rail transit equipment, digitalization, new energy, and AI, while increasing investment in compliance business to provide full-process compliance management services. They have established strategic partnerships with external companies for certification services in corporate compliance building.