近期，汉坤律师事务所为了加强其上海和深圳分所的国际业务能力而大力地招聘国际律师。该所已派代表合伙人到纽约参加一年一度的法律人才招聘会， 希望能够吸引到优秀国际律师人选。方达律师事务所也是常去美国参加类似招聘会的中国律所之一。

其他的律所如环球和九州丰泽律师事务所则选择采用通过朋友，同事和顾客推荐的方式，和曾经从合作过的国际律所中聘用优秀的律师人才。

Han Kun has recently launched a formal talent search by sending its partners to New York in search of recruits at one of the US’s legal job fairs. The firm hopes to staff its two new branches – Shanghai and Shenzhen – with internationally qualified partners and associates to help build a global clientele.

Fangda & Partners also frequents the same job fairs; the firm attends these fairs specifically to target Chinese students who have gone to universities in New York to study for their LLM. Every year, students are recruited to join the firm as associates. “Having international expertise has become increasingly important over the years, especially now if firms are trying to expand globally and attract more MNCs in China,” said Gordon Gao, partner at Fangda.  “Being bilingual is very important. If the lawyer is a foreigner, he must have some Chinese culture and practice experience, and if he is Chinese he must be able to speak English. Potential candidates at these job fairs usually have that capability,” he added.

Firms like Global and Shanghai Jade & Fountain have different approaches. Both firms prefer to select their international experts by word of mouth and by using their experience of working with potential candidates. “We usually pick from those with whom we have worked with before on deals, because we would then have solid knowledge of his experience, capabilities and strengths. Recommendations from friends and clients are also highly regarded,” said Liu Jinrong, managing partner at Global, who recently recruited three new partners and two teams of international lawyers from international firms to boost existing and upcoming offices.

Jade & Fountain is also planning on a headcount increase to gear up its international capabilities. The firm has confirmed three new partners who will join the team in the next three months. “Our new partners have over a decade of experience in prominent US firms and were recommended to us by friends,” said Mark Ho, partner at Jade & Fountain.

The firm plans to take its expansion one step at a time and has excluded the possibility of recruiting from job fairs at this time. “I think quite naturally our next office would be in Beijing but we would still stick to recommendations because I believe it promises proven capabilities,” added Ho.