Having established a solid presence on the booming south coast of China, Beijing-based Jun He continues to strengthen its operations in the region. It has recently opened its eighth office in Guangzhou, the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province.

Jun He's Guangzhou office will mainly focus on mergers and acquisitions, foreign investment, securities and capital market, banking and finance, and dispute resolution. It has recruited three partners, one counsel and more than 10 lawyers from local law firms.

Partners Pete Zhang and Chen Changjie joined the firm from Guangda Law Firm, where Zhang was a co-founder of the firm and Chen was a partner. Partner Catherine Miao and counsel Laura Fu are both from C&I Partners, where Miao was the founding partner of the firm and Fu was a partner.

Beijing-based partner Gong Jun, who oversees the development and operation of the Guangzhou office, will split his time between Beijing and Guangzhou. The new office is set to hire more lawyers in the next few months.

Jun He's Guangzhou office, together with its Shenzhen and Hong Kong offices, will enhance the firm's capabilities in southern China, it said in a statement. Jun He opened its Shenzhen office in 1999 and Hong Kong office in 2006.

Guangzhou, as one of mainland China's leading commercial and manufacturing regions, has attracted 33 law firms from outside Guangzhou establishing their offices, and 22 of them are from Beijing, including King & Wood, Dacheng, YingKe and Zhong Lun Law Firm, according to statistics from Guangzhou Bar Association.