近年来，“出海”无疑是中国企业最关注的发展方向之一，紧跟客户步伐的法律服务行业也在跨境业务上发力，且在过去一年，落子境外的中国律师事务所数量显著增长。
- 2023年12月至2024年11月，至少37家中国律所新设立了超80家境外办公室
- 律所“出海”地域、策略开始出现多元分化
过去12个月，中国律所出现了“扎堆出海”的趋势。根据ALB的不完全统计，至少37家中国律所新设立了超80家境外办公室。
其中，“超级大所”盈科、京师在海外布局上保持引领态势，分别增加了10家以上的海外分支机构。
其他律所则根据业务需求和资源状况，相对零散地展开海外布局，分别设立了1-3家新办公室：例如海华永泰、华商、中联等五家律所新设立或正在设立3家海外办公室；炜衡、段和段、兰迪、广悦、天地人等八家律所新增2家海外办公室；方达、君合、国浩、隆安、卓建等22家律所则新增1家海外办公室。
从地域上看，中国香港成为最受欢迎的目的地，共8家律所在此布局，其中道可特、卓信、光大等将香港选做境外发展第一站。
日本同样炙手可热，共有6家中国律所新设了东京办公室。
东南亚地区更有成为“兵家必争之地”之势，共有16家律所在此区域新布局了24家办公室。其中6家位于泰国；新加坡、老挝分别吸引了4家律所；马来西亚、缅甸各有3家；菲律宾、印度尼西亚各有2家。
另一出海热门区域是中亚地区，盈科在乌兹别克斯坦、塔吉克斯坦、哈萨克斯坦分别设立了直营办公室，另有4家律所分别在上述3国设立了办公室。
邻近的中东地区同样成为中国律所境外发展重地，京师在土耳其、巴林、塞浦路斯新设合作办公；盈科在卡塔尔、土耳其布局；湖南金州律师事务所则在阿联酋落子。
此外，尽管国际政治形势不明朗，欧美国家对华政策收紧，但这些经济成熟的地区依然是律所出海重点考量，例如海华永泰选择在澳大利亚、西班牙、美国建立办公室；盈科进入英国、法国、德国市场；君合、安理则分别选择了落户美国、加拿大。
而大型律所完成以上热点区域的布局后，正向其他相对冷门的地区进一步拓展，例如盈科踏入新西兰、阿富汗；京师走向芬兰、保加利亚；恒都落子巴基斯坦。
另一值得注意的细节是，部分非一线城市律所也在积极拓展国际布局：例如来自湖南长沙的天地人律师事务所聚焦非洲；湖南金州律师事务所布局阿联酋，湖南龙冠律师事务所布局加拿大，湖南丕正律师事务所则布局哈萨克斯坦；来自四川成都的明炬选择了澳大利亚；来自贵州贵阳的贵达律师事务所布局泰国；来自江西九江的惟民律师事务所布局吉尔吉斯斯坦；来自山东青州的万舜律师事务所则布局哈萨克斯坦。
在海外办公室数量增长的同时，律所海外发展的规模、定位、策略各不相同，中国律所出海正迈入“百花齐放”时代。三家出海阶段、策略各不相同的律所向ALB讲述了他们的故事。
兰迪：强调“华人主导”、着眼发展中国家
总部位于上海的兰迪律师事务所已在18个国家设立了22个海外办公室，且是目前在“一带一路”沿线的发展中国家布局最广的中国律所之一。兰迪全国管委会主任刘逸星律师表示，兰迪的国际布局与其定位和理念密不可分。
“创办兰迪之初，我们的目标就是打造一家由华人主导的国际大所、强所，因此‘强势国际化’，最终且始终是兰迪重要的发展理念之一。”刘律师说。
兰迪瞄准了与中国更具相似性的发展中国家。“在经济转型过程中，兰迪提早预判了中国在下一阶段将出现大量落后产能，需要转移到与中国经济互补性最强、具备人口和市场双重红利的发展中大国。”
2016年，兰迪在印度设立了第一家海外办公室，随后几年内又相继落地印度尼西亚、墨西哥、孟加拉国等国。2024年，兰迪看到了俄罗斯在国际工程等业务领域的需求，以及中国持续转移产能的趋势，因此设立了俄罗斯办公室。
事实上，中国律所最早“出海”时，还是会首选到发达国家建立办公室。对此刘律师表示，尽管中国与发达国家的贸易额较大，但传统行业在欧美落地、办厂仍有难度；另一方面，发达国家的本土律所历史悠久、实力强大，当地的华人律师也有很强的竞争力，且中国律所在当地会面临较高成本，案源未必足以支撑。
不过，这并不意味着兰迪不会考虑发达市场：受客户需求导引，2024年兰迪就在新加坡开设了办公室。
对于海外办公室的运营模式，兰迪强调“华人主导”，不采取与外国律所的联盟合作模式。“中资企业出海，更依赖于中国律师，因此海外业务团队一定要由中国律师牵头。兰迪的‘强势’体现在：海外办公室由兰迪投资、由兰迪派驻律师、整体运营由兰迪掌控。中资企业的任何一个项目都属于重大投资，需要我们带着对同胞的忠诚来办案，如果中国律所不能主导，那么该项目在未来很可能面临质量、信任缺乏等问题。”刘律师强调。
目前，兰迪已为数百家中国企业提供了出海服务，但刘律师也坦承，海外办公室的管理仍然具有一定挑战：“要让当地的资深律师、成熟的团队完全接受律所管理，存在一定难度。兰迪的模式是倾向于聘请有一定经验的年轻律师作为团队成员，由兰迪管理和指导。尽管这可能使得团队略显单薄、经验不足，但兰迪愿意培养年轻人才、重新组合团队。”
刘律师透露，2025年，兰迪的出海计划将继续，预计会在乌克兰、埃及、沙特阿拉伯、乌兹别克斯坦等7国设立海外办公室。
段和段：聚焦发达国家市场、寻找成熟合作伙伴
段和段律师事务所的总部同样位于上海。和“后起之秀”兰迪相比，段和段是最早一批走出国门的中国律所：其1994年就设立了美国西雅图办公室，也是第一批在香港开设办公室的内地律师事务所之一。
段和段全球董事局执行主席庄欣旺律师告诉ALB，出海30年来，段和段一直是根据客户来源和业务需求来设立海外办公室。最初，段和段的主要客户来源于欧美发达国家，这也成为其海外布局的重点；而后“为了支持更多中国企业和公民走出去，依法维护他们的海外权益，段和段逐渐在北美、欧洲、东亚、中亚、东南亚设立了9家境外办公室”。
2024年，段和段在伦敦开设办公室，东京办公室也于9月获得当地监管部门批准，目前已完成国内备案程序。谈到设立这两家办公室的原因，庄律师说：“中国在欧洲的整体投资，以及中国企业、公民在英国的商业活动，都反映出伦敦是最重要的业务地区之一。”
“同时，中国是日本的最大贸易伙伴、第二大出口对象国和最大进口来源国，日本客户在段和段占有着较大比重。早在2018年，我们已经在日本名古屋设立了办公室，东京办公室将更进一步拓展在日业务。”庄律师补充道。
谈到下一步的境外布局策略，庄律师表示，段和段将争取在发达国家法律服务市场获得增量。“未来一年，段和段的分所设立规划将聚焦在悉尼与新加坡，同时筹划拓展至越南、阿联酋等国，并充分运用已建成的37家总分所中的人才和资源，进一步完善海外布局。”
在海外办公室运营模式方面，段和段以直营和联营形式为主。“选择合作伙伴时，段和段以严选团队、品牌输出为基础，注重合作方的执业背景、文化认同。”
新近设立的伦敦办公室就是个很好的例子：段和段伦敦系原英国Jackson Lyon律师事务所，具备多年法律服务经验，已在商事、民事和刑事争议解决及诉讼领域建立起较高声誉，并在房地产和移民法方面积累了丰富经验，“团队曾代理多起备受社会关注的英国华人案件，其中不乏上诉至英国最高法院的案例”，庄律师介绍道。
“我们的发展模式是在一个地区市场成熟后，确保业务需求存在，再开设新的分支机构，而非盲目扩张。”庄律师说，“每一家海外办公室设立后，通过总所与其合作运营管理，最终实现资源共享、优势互补。”
天地人：服务好中非经贸合作“高地”
2024年，湖南天地人律师事务所迈出海外布局第一步，肯尼亚、乌干达办公室获批成立，非洲事业版图正式开启。
据天地人高级合伙人邹红艳律师介绍，律所十年前就开始专门研究非洲的法律服务市场，在10个重点国别持续发力，力图选出综合服务能力强、反应速度快的当地律所，与天地人共同组成中非一体化法律服务的战略联盟。因此，肯尼亚、乌干达办公室的成立是“十年磨一剑”的成果。
天地人的海外拓展聚焦非洲，体现出鲜明的国家政策底色。邹律师表示，天地人对非洲业务的重视受到了湖南省不断深化对非合作的影响，更是在贯彻和实施国家级战略。
“两大国家级战略平台已在湖南落地：一是中非经贸博览会长期落户湖南，目前已举办三届，每届都会吸引非洲国家政府高层官员和经贸市场主体前来参会。”
“二是在2024年1月，‘中非经贸深度合作先行区建设方案’获得批准，由湖南省政府来组织领导，它将成为各方资源广泛汇聚、具有国际竞争力的对非经贸合作平台。”
“可以说湖南已经成为一块中非合作的‘高地’，法律服务机构应加大与非洲相关业务的布局，这也是天地人深耕非洲的原因。”邹律师说。
她介绍道，天地人海外办公室的运作模式介于直营办公室和联盟合作之间，即并非由天地人直接设立、全部出资或全员派驻，而是与肯尼亚、乌干达的两家本土律所建立深度合作伙伴关系、共同开设办公室，对外挂牌天地人办公室。这种合作关系比联盟模式更紧密，中非相关案件都由双方共同主导、共同提供服务，而非互相转介业务。
“这种模式是我们长期与外国律所提供一体化服务的合作中摸索出来的。但我们也愿意根据市场需求、管理成本等因素来探索其他模式，不排除未来增加天地人对海外办公室的控制权重。”邹律师说。
“律所的海外发展应结合自身特色和所处环境，正如我们所的名称——天时、地利、人和，我们基于时机、地方特色、客户特点以及之前积累的合作网络，将非洲定为首要发展目标，但我们不局限于此，已将东南亚、中亚地区的布局纳入发展规划。”
“‘不出海、便出局’已成为中国工商界的共识。律所作为生产性服务业，一定要把握好大趋势、顺势而为。”邹律师说。
GLOBAL LEGAL LEAP
In recent years, "going global" has undoubtedly become a top priority for Chinese businesses. The legal services industry, closely following its clients' lead, has also been intensifying its focus on cross-border services. As a result, the number of Chinese law firms establishing an overseas presence has significantly increased over the past year.
- Between December 2023 and November 2024, at least 37 Chinese firms opened more than 80 new overseas offices.
- Chinese firms have begun to show diverse approaches in their regional strategies for international expansion.
The past 12 months have seen Chinese firms "going global" in clusters. According to rough statistics compiled by ALB, at least 37 Chinese firms have established more than 80 new offices overseas during that period.
Mega firms such as Yingke Law Firm and Jingsh Law Firm maintained their lead in overseas expansion, each adding more than ten offices overseas.
Other firms ventured overseas in smaller scale based on business needs and availability of resources, setting up one to three new offices each. For instance, five firms, including Hiways Law Firm, China Commercial Law Firm, and SGLA Law Firm have set up or are in the process of establishing three overseas offices. Eight other firms, such as W&H Law Firm, Duan & Duan, Landing Law Offices, Wang Jing & GH Law Firm, and Hunan Tiandiren Law Firm, each added two overseas outfits. The other 22 firms, including Fangda Partners, JunHe LLP, Grandall Law Firm, Long An Law Firm and Zhuojian Law Firm, opened one new office overseas each.
In terms of locations, Hong Kong SAR has been the most popular destination, attracting eight firms to set up shop there. Specifically, Beijing Docvit Law Firm, Zhuoxin Law Firm, and Everbright Law Firm have chosen Hong Kong SAR as their first stop for overseas expansion.
Japan is another desirable destination, with six Chinese firms establishing presence in Tokyo.
Furthermore, Southeast Asia has increasingly become a hotly contested region, with 16 firms setting up 24 new offices there. Six are in Thailand, four each are in Singapore and Laos, three each are in Malaysia and Myanmar, and the Philippines and Indonesia each have two.
Another sought-after region is Central Asia, where Yingke has established offices under the direct management of its head office in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan. Four other firms have also opened offices in these three countries.
The neighboring Middle East has similarly become a key focus, with Jingsh establishing associated offices in Turkey, Bahrain and Cyprus, Yingke setting up shop in Qatar and Turkey, and Hunan King Zone Lawyer Office venturing into the UAE.
Despite ongoing geopolitical tensions and tightening policies towards China in the U.S. and Europe, these economically advanced regions remain key targets for Chinese law firms' global expansion. The appeal of these markets persists, as evidenced by recent moves from several prominent firms. Hiways Law Firm, for instance, has established offices in Australia, Spain, and the United States, showcasing a diverse approach. Yingke Law Firm has focused on major European markets, opening offices in the UK, France, and Germany. Meanwhile, JunHe LLP has expanded into the United States, and Anli Partners has set up shop in Canada.
After establishing presence in these popular locations, large firms are also further expanding into other less popular places. For example, Yingke has entered New Zealand and Afghanistan, Jingsh has moved into Finland and Bulgaria, while Hengdu Law Firm has ventured into Pakistan.
Interestingly, law firms from China's non-tier-1 cities are also actively pursuing international expansion. These firms are targeting diverse regions across the globe. For instance, Changsha-based Tiandiren has focused on Africa, while Hunan King Zone Lawyer Office has set its sights on the UAE. Hunan Longguan Law Firm has ventured into Canada, and Hunan Pizheng Law Firm has established a presence in Kazakhstan.
Other examples include Sichuan Mingju Law Firm from Chengdu, which has chosen Australia for its overseas expansion, and Gui Da Law Firm from Guiyang, Guizhou, which has set up an office in Thailand. Jiangxi Weimin Law Firm, based in Jiujiang, has entered Kyrgyzstan, while Wan Shun Law Firm from Qingzhou, Shandong, has also expanded into Kazakhstan.
As Chinese firms increase their international presence, they are beginning to demonstrate diverse approaches in terms of scale, positioning, and expansion strategies. This trend marks the beginning of a new era characterized by varied development paths in the Chinese legal sector's global expansion. To illustrate this diversity, ALB has gathered insights from three firms at different stages of internationalization, each with unique strategies for overseas growth.
Landing Law Offices: "Chinese leadership" and a focus on developing countries
Shanghai-based Landing Law Offices boasts 22 overseas offices across 18 countries, making it one of the Chinese firms with the most extensive network in developing countries along the Belt and Road Initiative. Liu Yixing, Director of the firm's National Management Committee, explains that Landing's international presence aligns closely with its positioning and philosophy.
"Since Landing's inception, our goal has been to build a strong global firm led by Chinese professionals. 'Strong internationalization' has always been central to our development strategy," Liu states.
The firm targets developing countries with similarities to China. "We anticipated that China would face significant obsolete production capacity, which needs to be transferred to large developing countries complementary to China's economy, offering both population and market benefits," Liu explains.
Landing established its first overseas office in India in 2016, followed by Indonesia, Mexico, and Bangladesh. In 2024, responding to Russia's demand for international engineering services and China's ongoing production capacity transfer, the firm opened a Russian office.
While Chinese firms initially preferred establishing offices in developed countries, Liu notes the challenges: "Although trade volume with developed countries is substantial, it's difficult to set up traditional industry plants there. Local firms in these countries have long histories and strong track records, and local lawyers of Chinese descent are highly competitive. The high operational costs for Chinese firms in these markets may not be supported by sufficient caseloads."
However, Landing remains open to developed markets, as evidenced by its Singapore office opened in 2024 in response to client demand.
Landing emphasizes "Chinese leadership" in its overseas operations, opting against alliances with foreign firms. "Chinese companies rely more on Chinese lawyers for overseas expansion. Our overseas offices are Landing-invested, staffed by Landing lawyers, and controlled by Landing in overall operations," Liu says.
While Landing has advised hundreds of Chinese companies on overseas expansion, Liu acknowledges challenges in managing overseas offices. "It's challenging to have local senior lawyers fully accept head office management. We prefer recruiting and training young, experienced lawyers, despite potential initial inexperience."
Liu reveals plans for continued expansion in 2025, with expected office openings in seven countries, including Ukraine, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Uzbekistan.
Duan & Duan: Prioritizing developed markets and mature partners
Duan & Duan, also headquartered in Shanghai, is a pioneer among Chinese law firms in international expansion. It opened an office in Seattle as early as 1994 and was one of the first mainland firms to establish a presence in Hong Kong SAR.
Eric Zhuang, Executive Chairman of Duan & Duan's Global Board of Directors, explains that over the past three decades, the firm has focused on expanding overseas based on client sources and business needs. Initially, the firm's clients were primarily from Western developed countries, shaping its early expansion focus. Subsequently, "to support more Chinese companies and citizens in their overseas ventures and protect their interests abroad, Duan & Duan gradually opened nine offices across North America, Europe, East Asia, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia."
In 2024, Duan & Duan opened a London office and received approval for its Tokyo office. Zhuang explains, "London is one of the most important areas for business, as evidenced by China's overall investment in Europe and the activities of Chinese companies and citizens in the UK."
"Additionally, China is Japan's largest trading partner, second-largest export destination, and top import source. Japanese clients form a significant portion of our client base. We established a Nagoya office in 2018, and the Tokyo office is expected to further expand our services in Japan."
Regarding future expansion, Zhuang shares that Duan & Duan aims to increase its market share in developed countries' legal services markets. "Next year, we'll focus on Sydney and Singapore for new offices, while also planning expansion to countries like Vietnam and the UAE. We'll leverage the talents and resources of our existing 37 offices to enhance our overseas presence further."
Duan & Duan primarily uses direct management and joint venture models for its overseas offices. "We select only the best teams as partners, aiming to export our brand value and focusing on partners' professional background and cultural identity."
The new London office exemplifies this approach. Formerly Jackson Lyon LLP, it has a respected reputation in commercial, civil, and criminal dispute resolution, litigation, real estate, and immigration law. "That team has handled many high-profile cases involving people of Chinese descent in the UK, including some that reached the UK Supreme Court."
"Our strategy is to open new offices only when there's proven demand in a mature regional market, rather than expanding blindly," Zhuang emphasizes. "After establishing each overseas office, we manage it in cooperation with the head office to achieve resource sharing and complementary advantages."
Tiandiren Law Firm: Serving the "highland" of China-Africa economic and trade cooperation
In 2024, Hunan Tiandiren Law Firm launched its overseas expansion by establishing offices in Kenya and Uganda, marking its entry into the African market.
Senior Partner Zou Hongyan explains that Tiandiren's focus on Africa's legal services market began a decade ago. The firm has been diligently working in ten key African countries to form strategic alliances with local firms possessing strong full-service capabilities and quick response times. These alliances aim to provide integrated China-Africa legal services. Thus, the new offices in Kenya and Uganda represent the culmination of ten years of dedicated effort.
Tiandiren's focus on Africa aligns with clear national policy objectives. Zou notes that the firm's emphasis on Africa has been influenced by the deepening cooperation between Hunan Province and African countries, as well as the implementation of national strategies.
"Hunan now hosts two national-level strategic platforms. First is the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo, permanently hosted by Hunan, with three successful editions already held. Second is the 'China-Africa Economic and Trade Deep Cooperation Pilot Zone Construction Plan,' approved in January 2024. This Hunan-led platform aims to pool resources from various stakeholders and be internationally competitive," Zou explains.
"Hunan has become the 'highland' of China-Africa cooperation, necessitating increased focus on Africa-related legal services," Zou adds.
Tiandiren's overseas offices operate under a hybrid model between direct management and alliance. The firm has established deep partnerships with local firms in Kenya and Uganda to jointly open offices under the Tiandiren brand. This model facilitates closer cooperation than a simple alliance, with cases jointly led and served by both parties.
"We've developed this model through long-term cooperation with foreign firms in providing integrated services. However, we're open to exploring other models based on market demand and management costs, and may increase our control over overseas offices in the future," Zou states.
"Law firms should pursue overseas expansion based on their unique characteristics and operating environment. Tiandiren has prioritized Africa due to timing, regional characteristics, client features, and our established cooperation networks. However, we're not limited to Africa and have included Southeast Asia and Central Asia in our development plans," Zou adds.
"Failing to go global will take one out of the game. This has become a consensus in China's business community. As a productive service industry, law firms must grasp major trends and follow the momentum," Zou concludes.
