Law firms in China are stepping up their strategies to entice talented lawyers to join their practice. While most firms battle it out with competitors in their search for legal talent, some are smarter than others when it comes to raising their profile in the upper echelons of the legal recruitment market.

For example, Gide Loyrette Nouel established a series of awards which are given out at a special ceremony every year to commend talented law students. The law firm’s awards encourage young Chinese legal talent and promote the exchange of knowledge and experience between students and qualified lawyers.

Gide recently announced the winner of its annual China Awards 2009. Liang Yijie, an LLM student at East China University of Politics and Law won the prize – an all expense paid internship at head office in Paris.

Second prize – a three-month internship at Gide Loyrette Nouel’s Shanghai office – was won by Song Wei from Fudan University. Two students shared the third prize of RMB5000: Wu Danfeng from Fudan and Xu Wenjie from East China University.

Another firm, Shanghai Jade & Fountain, established a partner incubation system three years ago aimed at nurturing lawyers into partnership. Senior attorneys are provided with opportunities to grow within the firm, with their own book of business or by working with other more established partners.