西部地区的法律服务业起步相对较晚，但凭借该区域丰厚的自然资源优势、国家政策的推动以及诸多法律人才的长期耕耘，这片土地已具备天时、地利、人和，法律服务业增势迅猛。ALB连续第二年观察这一市场中杰出的律所及年轻律师，并邀请部分上榜者讲述了如何找准方向，在西部地区的快速变迁中坚守或创新。

 

2023转瞬迈入下个半年，ALB将持续关注中国区域法律市场。7月伊始，我们首先将目光投向中国西部地区，即四川、重庆、云南、贵州、西藏、宁夏、新疆、青海、陕西、甘肃十个省级行政区。这是一片极为广阔的土地，虽然总体经济水平与东部、中部地区相比有一定差距，但各个省市区各具特色、拥有不少经济表现亮点。

例如，2022年，四川省地区生产总值在全国各省中继续排名第6；从增速来看，在2023年第一季度，除了四川、贵州，西部其余8个省市区的GDP增速均跑赢了全国4.5%的水平，其中甚至包括西藏、宁夏、新疆、青海、甘肃等经济总量排名靠后的省区；

在城市层面，重庆市2022年GDP反超广州市、夺得全国第4名；第一财经今年公布的15座新一线城市中，成都稳居榜首，重庆夺得第二，西安、昆明分别排名第6、第13；

加上西部地区能源富集等天然优势，以及“一带一路”“西部大开发”等政策战略支撑，产业转型升级也在牵引着西部经济发展，例如在云南，当地迎来锂电行业的扎堆发展：去年末宁德时代入驻昆明；今年初，亿纬锂能、埃克森新能源的锂电池项目分别在曲靖、大理落地；6月底，云南杉杉锂电池项目在昆明安宁投产……

随着经济活力不断释放，法律服务需求必然随之增强，西部地区已成为中国法律服务市场最具增长潜力的区域之一。根据ALB本次榜单调研收集到的信息，诸多本地律所深耕所在省市，并向西部辐射布局，甚至走向全国、走出国门；而一线城市的规模大所近些年不断瞄准西部重点城市、开疆拓土。

在ALB今年评选的榜单中，律所数量由去年的20家增长为25家，包括10家本地律所、15家非本地律所。值得注意的是，上榜律所中有15家是“梅开二度”，另外10家则是新晋登榜，从中可以窥见西部地区法律服务市场竞争者之多、竞争格局的快速演变。

今年榜单的另一变化是增加了“律师新星”评选，共有25名成绩优异的年轻律师上榜。他们所在的办公地点与上榜律所分布格局相似，以成都、重庆、西安这三座经济优势显著的城市为主，少数上榜律师驻扎在昆明、贵阳。

他们执业领域则各不相同，涵盖诉讼与非诉讼业务，分别深耕争议解决、公司及商事、并购与重组、投融资、建筑工程与房地产等领域业务，还有几位律师专攻环境、社会与治理（ESG）、跨境业务、国际业务等在西部法律服务市场上较为新颖的领域。

审时度势

如前所述，西部各省市区的经济社会基本情况存在差异，法律服务市场在各区域发展的深度和广度也不尽相同，各家律所及其旗下各办公室因所在城市、成立时间的差异而有着不同的发展过程。今年榜上有名的几家律所和一位律师新星向ALB讲述了他们的“西部经验”。

总部位于上海的汇业律师事务所在2010年设立了成都办公室，至今已有13个年头。据汇业成都办公室主任、高级合伙人毕英鸷律师介绍，汇业成都的发展大致分为三个阶段。第一阶段是创立前五年，主要是适应市场和探寻律所的发展方向。由于初出茅庐，业务主要以传统市场为导向，也积极拓展其他领域业务、尝试律所的规模化。

到了第二阶段，即2015年至2021年，毕律师开始牵头成都办公室对前期规模化发展、业务领域进行反思。“根据团队人数等情况，我们主动放弃了许多传统业务类型，最终确定将业务领域聚焦到我们影响力较大的金融证券与国际业务，围绕融资租赁、私募股权投资、证券和债券发行、银行与不良资产、国际投融资与争议解决、金融监管与合规等，打造了数个具备区域领先优势的精专团队。”毕律师说。

进入2021年至今的第三阶段，该办公室转向“专业化+行业化”双轮驱动。“在专业化方面，我们围绕汇业全国专委会的布局，结合发展趋势，引进和培养了网络安全和数据合规、政府与公共事务、环境资源与能源、知识产权、刑事辩护与刑事合规等数个业务团队，拓展了此前的纯金融业务；同时，我们力图提供一个行业全领域、全生命周期的法律服务，例如在融资租赁、私募股权投资两个板块，已经形成了从设立到注销、从投前尽调到投后管理、争议解决、合规审查等领域的完整服务链条。”

“律师新星”上榜者、天同律师事务所西安办公室负责人及合伙人杜晓成律师在2018年单枪匹马来到西安，在短时间内建立起天同西安办公室。这是一个从无到有的“苦活”：选定并装修办公场所，面试和招引更多团队成员，寻找新业务、新客户，这些任务都需要同时进行。

杜律师表示，在公司制的天同管理模式下，作为区域办公室负责人，要独立解决问题、而非总是求助总部。有很长一段时间他疯狂跑案件、跑业务、跑客户，在竞争激烈的市场环境下，他逐步从一位专业过硬的“将才”转变为能够带领团队的“帅才”。

同时，杜律师也紧紧抓住陕西省的地域优势，着重发展能源领域法律服务。“我们已经将能源业务打造成一个强项，该领域的收入占据事务所总创收的一半以上。”短短5年内，天同西安办公室的执业范围已不局限于陕西省，更面向甘肃、宁夏、青海、新疆等西北省区，律师人均创收在区域内排名靠前，客户会经常复购。

相比非本地律所，上榜的本地律所成立时间更早，多数都有20年以上的发展史，坐拥属地优势和先发优势，重庆百君律师事务所便是其中之一。百君成立于1998年，在西部地区占据着头部地位，据百君所管委会委员、高级合伙人唐昱州律师介绍，明确战略定位和发展道路是百君始终坚持的原则。

根据重庆市司法局联合各部门印发的《建设西部法律服务高地规划（2021—2025年）》，2025年之前，重庆要建成20家在全国具有影响力和国际竞争力的律所，35家律师50至100人、在中西部地区具有影响力的专业强所。唐律师说，截至2022年末，重庆律所平均有执业律师14.4人，百人所16家，“可以看出，重庆本土律所的规模化程度仍有发展空间”。

“继续深化与探索规模化发展道路是百君长期坚持的发展方针。”唐律师表示，继2015年成立了成都分所、随后设立贵阳分所以及重庆市的合川、荣昌和大足三个分所，百君今年将在昆明等西部中心城市设立分所，进一步扩大在西部地区法律市场的影响力。

除了成渝、西安等新一线城市，非本地律所的规模化发展也正走向更深层次，例如今年3月，汇业银川办公室获批成立，而段和段律师事务所在6月底为其四川绵阳办公室举行了揭牌仪式。

挑战重重

业界人士普遍看好西部地区法律服务市场的整体走势，但也点出了其中需克服的种种挑战。

“在国家‘一带一路’重大战略举措的引领下，西部地区从开放‘末梢’变身为前沿，我们为助力战略推进和涉外法治建设，积极探索新时代涉外法律服务的新路径。” 段和段律师事务所权益合伙人、全球董事局副主席、中国董事局主席孙瑜律师说，段和段已在乌兹别克斯坦设立塔什干办公室，由重庆办公室负责管理。

炜衡律师事务所党委书记、全国管委会主任张小炜律师也有同样的观察：“随着‘一带一路’落实，外资逐渐向西部转移，西部正向中国对外开放的‘前台’转型，有望成为拉动中国经济的新生力量。”

“然而，在国际化项目增多的情况下，企业面临新型风险和挑战，对律师风险管控和合规管理的能力要求也逐渐提高，对涉外业务熟练度，以及律所涉外资源和对接能力的要求也会增高。出于对服务能力的考量，多数西部地区的外资企业聘请的是北京或香港的律师，西部本土律师很难切入到这些业务中，这是目前我们面临的一大挑战。”张小炜律师坦言。

“要想打开西部涉外法律服务市场，唯有创新发展模式，采用一体化的团队作业方式，才能真正整合优势资源，提高西部分所的综合法律服务能力。”张律师说，炜衡因此吸纳了一批具有丰富涉外法律从业经验的优秀律师，力争以更专业的法律服务，打破涉外服务市场上对西部地区律师的刻板印象。

随着更多律所落子西部地区，新的挑战也随之而至。孙瑜律师表示，段和段走在自身科学、适度规模化的发展之路上，但随着规模的不断扩大，律所管理一体化、利冲、经营风险增加等问题也在逐渐加剧。“同时，对于西部地区的各家分所而言，与本地律所之间的市场竞争、适应当地政策也是发展过程中曾遇到的挑战。”

天同杜晓成律师、炜衡张小炜律师也明确指出，西部地区法律服务行业内卷严重，低价、恶性竞争激烈。“一味降低价格是不能长远的，最终只能腐蚀掉律师的业务能力，也无法提供真正让客户满意的法律服务。”张律师说。

面对挑战，各家律所给出的解决方案也指向更高水平的专业能力。孙瑜律师认为，对段和段来说，专业实力和涉外业务应当始终作为律所应对各项挑战的核心竞争力。而炜衡追求“碾压式”的服务差距，“我们选择了一条加大成本、提升服务品质的道路。唯有如此，客户才能够一眼辨识出这是一群真正优秀的人才，在市场上才有更好的议价能力，不至于被卷入到无止境、无意义的低价竞争恶性循环中。”张律师说。

杜律师表示，西部地区客户、尤其是头部客户，对高品质的法律服务有着较为强烈的渴望。“我认为西部地区市场较之一线城市具有更大的发掘潜力，相对容易构建以专业能力为基础的竞争壁垒，从而在长远发展上占有先机。”

管理策略

在应对外界各种挑战的同时，明确并优化律所内部的管理方针尤为重要。处于不同城市、不同发展阶段的律所有各自的心得。

例如汇业的毕英鸷律师对ALB坦言，当下“公司制”已成为诸多律所的选择，公司制固然有其优势、能为律师提供优质的中后台服务，但汇业成都办公室结合团队实际情况，目前依然坚持合伙制，不会追求在短时间内转变为公司制。

“合伙制以人和为基础，因此成都办公室极其扁平化，合伙人、高级合伙人均无独立办公室，大家平等交流，共同成长，同事之间粘性较高。当然，我们也会保持关注公司制律所的发展，取长补短。”

“另外，我认为全国规模律所与地方律所之间的一大差异在于信息差。”毕律师说，区域办公室应正视与一线城市业务的差距，提前储备好未来可能会发展起来的业务领域所需的资源。“我们围绕汇业总部的整体发展来引进专业团队，比如成都办公室在合规、数据、环境资源与能源等业务上，基本保持着与汇业全国同样的节奏。”

段和段的孙瑜律师也强调，在西部地区的布局应始终符合段和段的整体发展战略，“尤其在专业化建设中，段和段坚持总分所一体，提供合伙人及律师的持续性执业培训和专业化培训。”

段和段也注重发挥自身传统优势。“西部的各家分所传承着段和段在中国涉外法律服务方面的品牌优势，能够为当地企业的对外贸易提供专业法律支持。”孙律师说。

与此同时，西部地区律所也开始认识到品牌管理的重要性。以百君为例，其近年从新媒体运营数据、律所奖项申报、策划活动质量、品牌内部满意度、品牌市场认知度、危机公关能力等角度都开始着重发力。

“具体包括独创百君金笔榜指数用以衡量新媒体运营数据；建立法律评级机构申报指引与提醒机制；建立律所年度活动计划台账，监控常年活动执行情况与律师满意度；针对本所品牌进行年度市场调研，以掌握品牌影响力；建立舆情应急处理机制，实时监控舆情。” 唐昱州律师介绍，多番努力下，目前百君在网络流量、媒体曝光、原创内容等方面都有了显著提升。

育人不息

律所的实力积累，归根结底是多年龄层次、多业务领域人才的积累，这点在西部地区市场也不例外。

张小炜律师很高兴地观察到：“近年来高精尖人才的回流，为西部法律市场发展带来了新鲜的血液，也给炜衡人才战略带来了新的机遇。一直以来，炜衡坚信人力资本增值目标优先于营业创收增值目标，富有凝聚力和创造力的人才队伍才是律所的核心竞争力。”

在西部市场，炜衡从薪资待遇、福利保障、晋升通道、文化氛围、培训交流、高校合作等角度出发，以吸引人才、更快更好地培养人才。实际上，这些内容也逐渐成为了各领先律所的人才战略“必选项”。

今年6月，段和段在西安成立了段和段全球培训中心并举行了首期涉外法律集训营。孙瑜律师介绍道，此培训中心旨在构建法律人的互通平台，精深拓展专业服务，潜心培养具有全球视野的领军人才，连接起实务界、学术界、企业界，实现跨界资源整合，将人才培养变成一个持续的过程。

然而，西部地区的律界英才培育比一线城市更具挑战。毕英鸷律师坦承，汇业成都办公室引进和培养人才的速度较慢，原因是新兴业务从一线城市进入非一线城市并稳定发展起来的过程相对缓慢，市场和团队的培养也会放慢。

“另外，成都办公室的合伙人比较年轻，需要清晰认识到，比起地方性大所，我们团队在传统业务领域是存在差距的，只能去新兴市场寻找机会，再反哺传统领域。”毕律师补充道，经过几年的专业化发展，成都办公室在涉外法律服务、融资租赁、网络安全与数据合规、金融监管与金融合规等细分领域已经具备参与全国竞争的能力。

百君目前已拥有500余名律师，但唐昱州律师表示，在数量增长的同时，百君着力建设高素质律师队伍，希望推动重庆律师整体水平的提升。“百君形成了一套从律师助理到合伙人的培养体系，拥有将法学院毕业生培养成为合伙人的‘造血’能力，并保障每一个百君律师独立执业的水准都能受到业内较高评价。”

展望未来

伴随疫情后时代国内外产业、社会格局重塑，所有人都面对着一个不确定性依旧凸显的未来，西部地区的律师也不例外。在此背景下，对于律所及自身的下一步发展，他们有着怎样的计划？

唐律师表示，百君的战略转型方向或将是深耕微观细分市场。“随着法律市场发展，客户愈加偏向于专业程度高、针对性强的法律服务，尤其是高科技、破产重组等领域，‘万金油’式法律服务可能受到一定制约。百君将把握这种趋势，依凭目前所内十五个专业部门，分别对各个微观细分领域进行深入探索。”

毕英鸷律师称，汇业成都办公室会继续保持原有发展路径，继续发挥在新兴业务、细分垂直领域的优势，并适当扩充传统业务、补足现有队伍。“我们还将完善所内知识管理体系、市场部、行政团队的服务能力，争取向公司制律所靠齐。”

天同的杜晓成律师则表示他最关注专业能力的“厚度”。“但凡是我们选定的领域，务必追求做到在专业程度上给客户‘种草’。也许在发展的早期阶段，我们的客户池不大，业务机会也容易受到低价竞争的冲击，但我认为专业能力是做大‘雪球’的核心。”

今年是段和段成立三十周年，孙瑜律师表示，段和段“3.0发展新时代”已开启，下一阶段的发展布局都是为了在新维度上聚焦涉外、服务国家战略。“在西部地区，段和段将有序布局设点，打造覆盖西部、通达全球的服务网络。”

在炜衡，律所则将“进一步细化分工，明确每个人的不同定位，发挥各自优势，拆解组合、重新排序，展开新的探索”，张小炜律师说，炜衡还将进一步发挥其在西部地区本地资源的作用，借助全国性大所的实力和品牌，建立起一体化、长生命周期的发展路径。

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2023 ALB China Regional Ranking: West China Firms & Rising Lawyers

Despite a relatively late start, the legal services industry in West China has been showing strong growth momentum thanks to the region’s rich natural resources, favourable national policies and dedication by the legal community. For the second year in a row, ALB highlights top firms and young lawyers in this market and invites some winners to share how they have found the right direction to persevere or innovate amid rapid changes in the western region.

As we enter the second half of 2023, ALB continues to monitor the regional legal markets in China, with a particular focus on West China. West China encompasses ten provincial-level administrative divisions: Sichuan, Chongqing, Yunnan, Guizhou, Tibet, Ningxia, Xinjiang, Qinghai, Shaanxi, and Gansu. While the west's overall level of economic development may still need to catch up to the eastern and central regions, these provinces and cities have unique characteristics and exhibit promising economic performance.

In 2022, Sichuan Province maintained its 6th ranking in terms of GDP among all provinces in the country. Moreover, except for Sichuan and Guizhou, the GDP growth of the remaining eight western provinces surpassed the national level of 4.5% in the first quarter of 2023. This includes provinces and autonomous regions with smaller economic aggregates, such as Tibet, Ningxia, Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu.

Among cities, Chongqing's GDP surpassed Guangzhou's in 2022, securing fourth place nationwide. In Yicai's list of 15 new first-tier cities announced this year, Chengdu took the top spot, followed by Chongqing in second place, and Xi'an and Kunming ranked sixth and 13th, respectively.

The Western region benefits from natural advantages, such as abundant energy resources, policy, and strategic support, including the "Belt and Road Initiative" and the "China Western Development" strategy. Industrial transformation and upgrading are driving economic development in the western region. For instance, Yunnan Province has seen a clustering of lithium battery companies, with CATL establishing a presence in Kunming and Eve Energy Co., Ltd. and Exencell launching their lithium battery projects in Qujing and Dali, respectively. Shanshan Technology also commenced operations for its lithium battery project in Anning, Kunming, at the end of June.

As economic vitality continues to flourish, the demand for legal services in West China is expected to increase significantly, making it one of the regions with the greatest potential in China's legal services market. Based on ALB's survey, many local firms are expanding beyond their home markets, venturing into other areas within the west and even expanding nationwide and overseas. Simultaneously, large firms from first-tier cities have been targeting key cities in the west for expansion in recent years.

In this year's ALB list, the number of winning firms has increased to 25 from 20 last year, comprising ten local firms and 15 non-local outfits. Among them, fifteen are second-time winners, while the remaining ten are new entries, reflecting the intense competition and rapid evolution of the legal services market in West China.

Another notable addition to this year's list is the inclusion of "rising lawyers," featuring 25 exceptional young lawyers. These rising stars are based in locations similar to those of the winning firms, with the majority situated in the economically developed cities of Chengdu, Chongqing, and Xi'an, and a few in Kunming and Guiyang.

These young lawyers specialise in various areas, including litigation and non-contentious services, focusing on dispute resolution, corporate and commercial law, mergers, acquisitions, restructuring, investment and financing, construction engineering, real estate, and more. Some specialise in emerging fields such as environmental, social, and governance (ESG), cross-border services, and international law, which are relatively new in the western legal services market.

SIZING UP THE SITUATION

As previously mentioned, the economic and social conditions of various provinces, autonomous regions, and cities in West China vary, resulting in differences in the depth and breadth of the development of the legal services market in each location. Several firms and a rising lawyer on this year's list have shared their unique "western experience" with ALB.

Hui Ye Law Firm, based in Shanghai, opened its Chengdu office in 2010, marking 13 years of operation. Yates Bi, senior partner and director of Hui Ye's Chengdu office, explains that the Chengdu office has undergone three stages of development. Initially, the focus was on adapting to the market and exploring the firm's future directions. The office gradually expanded its services in various fields while actively seeking growth opportunities.

In the second stage, which spanned from 2015 to 2021, Bi led the Chengdu office in reflecting on its development and practice areas. Based on factors such as team size, they strategically shifted focus, giving up certain traditional practice areas and zeroing in on areas where they could exert greater influence, such as finance, securities, international business, and specialised teams in financial leasing, private equity investment, securities and bond issuance, banking, non-performing assets, international investment and financing, dispute resolution, and financial regulation and compliance.

Entering the third phase in 2021, the Chengdu office embraced a "specialisation + industrialisation" approach. They introduced and built several practice teams specialising in cybersecurity and data compliance, government and public affairs, environmental resources and energy, intellectual property, criminal defence and compliance. They aim to provide comprehensive legal services throughout the entire lifecycle of an industry, expanding beyond their previous focus on pure financial services.

Du Xiaocheng, a "Rising Lawyers" winner and partner at TianTong Law Firm, successfully established the Xi'an office in a short period. As TianTong adopts a corporate management model, regional office heads are expected to find solutions independently. Du worked tirelessly on cases, pitched for the business, recruited team members, and secured new clients. The competitive market environment transformed him from a "tactical talent" with expertise to a "leadership talent" capable of leading a team.

Using Shaanxi province's geographical advantages, Du emphasised the development of legal services in the energy sector. The Xi'an office expanded its scope of practice from Shaanxi to neighbouring provinces and autonomous regions such as Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai, and Xinjiang. They achieved high regional revenue per lawyer and developed a strong base of repeat clients.

Local firms on the list generally have longer histories and enjoy territorial and first-mover advantages. Chongqing Baijus Law Firm, founded in 1998, is a leader in West China. Tang Yuzhou, senior partner and management committee member, emphasises the importance of clarifying strategic positioning and development path. According to a plan issued by the Chongqing Municipal Justice Bureau, Chongqing aims to host 20 firms with national influence and international competitiveness and 35 specialised firms with 50 to 100 lawyers with influence in central and western regions. Tang believes there is still room for further growth and upscaling of local Chongqing firms.

Baijus plans to continue its long-term commitment to deepening and exploring large-scale development. In addition to the Chengdu office established in 2015 and subsequent offices in Guiyang, Hechuan, Rongchang, and Dazu, Baijus plans to open offices in key western cities like Kunming this year to increase its influence in the western legal market.

Non-local firms are also expanding their presence beyond new first-tier cities like Chengdu, Chongqing, and Xi'an. For example, Hui Ye obtained approval to open its Yinchuan office in March, and Duan & Duan unveiled its Sichuan Mianyang office at the end of June. These firms are actively engaging in the upscaling exercise in West China.

MYRIAD CHALLENGES

While there is overall optimism about the legal services market in the west, industry observers acknowledge the challenges that need to be overcome.

William Sun, equity partner, vice chairman of the global board of directors, and chairman of the China board of directors of Duan & Duan, highlights the need to explore new ways of delivering cross-border legal services in the "Belt and Road Initiative era." Duan & Duan has established a Tashkent office in Uzbekistan, managed by the Chongqing office, to support this initiative and facilitate capacity-building of cross-border legal services.

Zhang Xiaowei, director of the management committee of W&H Law Firm, also recognises the shifting landscape brought about by the "Belt and Road Initiative" and the increasing foreign investment in the west. However, with the rise of global projects, enterprises face new risks and challenges. The requirements for lawyers' risk control, compliance management capabilities, proficiency in cross-border services, and the resources and capabilities of law firms in cross-border matters are also increasing. Zhang highlights the challenge of local lawyers struggling to enter the cross-border services market due to the preference of foreign-invested enterprises for lawyers from Beijing or Hong Kong. To address this, W&H has recruited experienced cross-border lawyers to provide more professional legal services and break the stereotype about the capabilities of western lawyers in cross-border matters.

As more firms establish their presence in West China, new challenges arise. William Sun mentions the intensifying issues of integrated management, conflict of interest, and increased operating risks with the expansion of Duan & Duan. Local firm offices face the challenge of competing with local firms for market share and adapting to local policies during development.

Du and Zhang also point out problems such as unhealthy pressure, low fees, and malicious competition in the western legal services industry. Zhang emphasises that emphasising lower fees alone is not a sustainable approach and may erode the professional expertise of lawyers. Instead, W&H focuses on increasing costs and improving service quality to create a noticeable service advantage and stronger bargaining power.

To tackle these challenges, firms strive for a higher level of professional competence. Sun believes that professional strength and cross-border expertise should be the core competitiveness of Duan & Duan to face any challenges. W&H aims to create significant service differentiators by increasing costs and enhancing service quality. This approach enables clients to recognise the outstanding talent of the firm and avoids getting trapped in a meaningless cycle of low-price competition.

Du highlights the strong demand for high-quality legal services from clients in West China, especially top clients. He sees greater potential in the West China market compared to first-tier cities and emphasises the importance of building competitive barriers based on professional capabilities to lead in long-term development.

MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

While firms in West China face external challenges, internal management policies are crucial to their success. Each firm has its unique story to share based on its city and stage of development.

According to Bi from Hui Ye Law Firm, the corporate model has gained popularity among many firms due to its advantages in providing high-quality middle- and back-office support. However, Hui Ye's Chengdu office still practices the partnership model and has yet to make any immediate plans to shift to the corporate model. The partnership model fosters team harmony and maintains a highly flat organisational structure. Partners and senior partners do not have independent offices, promoting equal communication and growth among colleagues. The Chengdu office closely monitors the development of firms that adopt the corporate model to learn from their strengths while staying true to their approach.

Bi also notes the information asymmetry between national and local firms. Regional offices should acknowledge the gap in serving businesses in first-tier cities and proactively build resources for potential booming practice areas in the future. The Chengdu office recruits teams aligned with Hui Ye's overall development directions, focusing on practice areas such as compliance, data, environmental resources, and energy.

Similarly, Sun emphasises the alignment of Duan & Duan's presence in West China with its overall development strategies. The firm places great importance on integrating the head office and local outfits, providing continuous practice and professional training for partners and lawyers. Duan & Duan leverages its brand advantage in cross-border legal services to support the foreign trade operations of local companies in West China.

Brand management has also gained recognition among firms in West China. Baijus, for instance, has shifted its focus to new media data analytics, award applications, activity planning and quality, internal brand satisfaction, brand market awareness, and public relations crisis management. The firm has developed various strategies, including the Baijus Golden Pen List Index, to measure new media data, award application guidelines, and a comprehensive activity plan. They also conduct annual market surveys to assess brand influence and have established a public opinion emergency response mechanism to monitor real-time public opinions. These efforts have resulted in significant progress in online traffic, media exposure, and original content for Baijus.

NURTURING TALENT

Building the strength of a law firm involves cultivating talents across different age groups and practice areas, and the western legal services market is no exception to this process.

Zhang from W&H Law Firm acknowledges that the return of high-end talents in recent years has brought new opportunities to developing the western legal services market. W&H prioritises human resources appreciation over revenue generation, recognising that a cohesive and creative talent pool is crucial for a firm's core competitiveness. W&H focuses on remuneration, benefits, promotion paths, cultural atmosphere, training, professional exchange, and collaboration with higher learning institutions to attract and train talents effectively in West China. These aspects have become essential components of leading firms' talent strategies.

Duan & Duan established the Duan & Duan Global Training Center in Xi'an in June this year, hosting its first cross-border legal services training camp. According to Sun, the training centre serves as a platform for legal professionals to exchange knowledge, expand specialised services, and cultivate talents with a global vision. By connecting practitioners, academics, and business communities, the centre aims to integrate resources across different industries and foster a continuous talent development process.

However, cultivating legal talents in West China presents challenges compared to first-tier cities. Bi admits that Hui Ye's Chengdu office faces difficulties in attracting and training talents due to the slower adoption of emerging practice areas in non-first-tier cities. The growth of markets and teams also tends to be slower in these regions. Despite this, the Chengdu office has focused on specialised development and achieved national recognition in cross-border legal services, financial leasing, cybersecurity and data compliance, and financial regulation and compliance.

Baijus, with over 500 lawyers, remains dedicated to building a highly competent team while expanding its headcount in Chongqing. The firm has developed a comprehensive training system that enables law school graduates to progress from paralegals to partners. Baijus ensures that the practice level of each lawyer is highly regarded by the industry, striving to uplift the overall competency of lawyers in Chongqing.

LOOKING AHEAD

In the post-pandemic era, with the reshaping of industrial and social structures, lawyers in West China are facing an uncertain future. In response, they have developed plans for the development and growth of their firms.

Tang explains that Baijus' strategic transformation will focus on micro and subdivided market segments. As clients increasingly seek specialised and targeted legal services, especially in areas like technology, bankruptcy, and reorganisation, Baijus aims to explore these fields in greater depth. They plan to leverage their current 15 internal practice teams to meet clients' evolving needs.

According to Bi, Hui Ye's Chengdu office will continue its current development trajectory, capitalising on its advantages in emerging and subdivided vertical fields. They also plan to expand traditional practice areas and the existing team. To enhance their capabilities, they will improve their knowledge management system and enhance the service capabilities of their marketing and administrative teams, striving to be on par with firms that adopt the corporate model.

Du's focus lies in the "depth" of professional expertise. Regardless of the field they pursue, their goal is to provide clients with a high level of professional service. While they may have a smaller client pool in the early stages, Du believes professional expertise is key to expanding their reach.

Duan & Duan is entering its 30th anniversary, marking the beginning of its "3.0 era of development." Sun states that the firm's next phase will prioritise cross-border services and serve national strategies in new dimensions. They plan to open new offices in an orderly manner across the western region to create a service network that covers West China and extends globally.

W&H intends to refine the division of labour, clarify the roles of each team member, and leverage their strengths to embark on a new journey, according to Zhang. They will further tap into local resources in West China, harnessing the strength and brand recognition as a national firm to pursue integrated and long-term development.

Overall, these firms in West China are adapting to market demands, exploring specialised fields, expanding their reach, and investing in their teams and resources to position themselves for success in an evolving legal landscape.

 

2023 ALB China Regional Ranking: West China Firms & Rising Lawyers 2023 ALB China 区域市场排名：西部地区律所和律师新星

Local Firms 西部地区本地律所

Chongqing Baijus Law Firm 重庆百君律师事务所 Faxian Law Firm 四川发现律师事务所 Help Reaching Law Firm 海普睿诚律师事务所 K&H Law Firm 重庆坤源衡泰律师事务所 Ning Ren Law Firm 宁人律师事务所 Shaanxi Jiaxuan Law Firm 陕西稼轩律师事务所 Sichuan Mingju Law Firm 四川明炬律师事务所 Tahota Law Firm 泰和泰律师事务所 Yong Jia Xin Law Firm 陕西永嘉信律师事务所 ZHH & Robin LLP 中豪律师事务所

Non-local Firms 西部地区非本地律所（西部地区业务）

AllBright Law Offices 锦天城律师事务所 City Development Law Firm 建纬律师事务所 DeHeng Law Offices 德恒律师事务所 Dentons China 大成律师事务所 Duan & Duan Law Firm 段和段律师事务所 Grandall Law Firm 国浩律师事务所 Hui Ye Law Firm 汇业律师事务所 Jincheng Tongda & Neal Law Firm 金诚同达律师事务所 Kangda Law Firm 康达律师事务所 King & Wood Mallesons 金杜律师事务所 Long An Law Firm 隆安律师事务所 SGLA Law Firm 中联律师事务所 Tian Yuan Law Firm 天元律师事务所 W&H Law Firm 炜衡律师事务所 Zhong Lun Law Firm 中伦律师事务所

 

Rising Lawyers 西部地区律师新星-

Local Law Firms 本地律所

Cao Peng 曹鹏 Shaanxi Jiaxuan Law Firm 陕西稼轩律师事务所 Chen Han 陈汉 Yong Jia Xin Law Firm 陕西永嘉信律师事务所 Lai Siqi 赖思奇 Chongqing Baijus Law Firm 重庆百君律师事务所 Lan Junwei 兰军伟 Shaanxi Jindi Law Firm 陕西金镝律师事务所 Lin Xue 林学 K&H Law Firm 重庆坤源衡泰律师事务所 Liu Xinying 刘欣莹 Silkroad, Anchorite and Sage Law Firm 锦路安生律师事务所 Wang Peiyao 王佩瑶 Help Reaching Law Firm 海普睿诚律师事务所 Yang Weimin 杨伟民 Guizhou Visen Law Firm 贵州惟胜道律师事务所 Zhao Ke 赵轲 Faxian Law Firm 四川发现律师事务所 Zheng Wenwen 郑雯文 Tahota Law Firm 泰和泰律师事务所

Non-local Law Firms 非本地律所

Ding Feng 丁锋 Haiwen & Partners 海问律师事务所 Du Xiaocheng 杜晓成 TianTong Law Firm 天同律师事务所 Geng Hui 耿辉 AllBright Law Offices 锦天城律师事务所 Huang Pingping 黄萍萍 Grandall Law Firm 国浩律师事务所 Huang Jingran 黄靖然 Zhong Lun Law Firm 中伦律师事务所 Kou Chunyan 寇春燕 JunHe LLP 君合律师事务所 Li Lu 李露 Jincheng Tongda & Neal Law Firm 金诚同达律师事务所 Niu Zehua 牛泽华 East & Concord Partners 天达共和律师事务所 Peng Kai 彭凯 Tian Yuan Law Firm 天元律师事务所 Sidney Qiu 邱雨 Duan & Duan Law Firm 段和段律师事务所 Wu Rui 吴睿 Jingtian & Gongcheng 竞天公诚律师事务所 Xiong Yanhong 熊艳红 Dentons China 大成律师事务所 Zhang Jiayu 张家羽 DeHeng Law Offices 德恒律师事务所 Zhang Mo 张漠 King & Wood Mallesons 金杜律师事务所 Zhang Junyuan 张峻源 SGLA Law Firm 中联律师事务所