Jun He is known for its seniority in the legal industry, but the firm's partnership has grown younger with an increasing number of younger lawyers appointed to the partner ranks.
Earlier this year, the firm promoted eight lawyers to partner and elected three senior associates to counsel - most of them in their mid-thirties. Currently, thirtysomething lawyers account for nearly 50% of the firm's 95 partners and counsel - up 20% from just two years ago.
"At the latest partners' meeting, we have come to an agreement to place younger generations on the partner track. Younger lawyers, particularly the thirtysomethings, are an up and coming force of our firm," said David Liu, senior partner and a member of the managing committee of Jun He. "They are following market trends the most closely, acquiring skills and knowledge in emerging practices very fast, working incredible hours and contributing significantly to business development."
"Stronger teamwork ability and stronger focus on specialised areas of law are among the other important features of the younger generation lawyers. They will contribute to the firm's further integration and modernisation," said Liu.
The eight new partners are Liu Chi (pictured), Mi Xingping and Zhang Zongzhen in Beijing and Wang Yi, He Lingyun, Zhou Hui, Zhao Fang and Zhang Zhongmin in Shanghai. The newly elected counsel are Huang Shan in Beijing, Liu Guangming in Shanghai and Xiao Ruhai in Hainan. Their practice areas range from corporate and M&A to litigation and IP.
The latest round of promotions is also a reflection on the increasing use of the counsel title at Jun He. The firm first adopted the title in 2007 as a stopover for senior lawyers on the way to partner status. Liu Chi, specialising in servicing the sport and entertainment sectors, was promoted to partner a few years after he joined the firm as counsel from Zhong Lun. In January 2010, the firm hired an experienced WTO and international trade lawyer Zhou Yong as counsel from JunZeJun, where he was a partner and head of the WTO and international trade practice group.
"The chance of becoming a partner in a firm is always limited, so the counsel title can create more promotion opportunities to lawyers. It also helps senior lawyers to ensure a successful probation and transition to partnership," said Liu. The response to the counsel title from the client side and internally has been positive, and the firm has also seen an increasing number of applications for the counsel title from senior associates in international firms over the past few months.
Liu also noted that Jun He has set plans for two more rounds of promotions and lateral hires this year, both because the firm's recruitment and promotion plans were slowed last year due to market conditions and its strategic decision to beef up new practice groups including WTO and international trade and IP in the coming years.
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