It has been a little over a month since ten ambitious Chinese lawyers went Down Under to begin their four-month Australia-China Legal Profession Development Program.
The lawyers, including partners and Chinese officials from firms like Beijing Guantao and Shanghai Allbright, have since their introduction to Australia, been placed in Australian top-tier firms like Mallesons, Clayton Utz, Minter Ellison and Blake Dawson.
Despite strong roots in domestic firms, the Australian work culture and environment seems to hold great appeal. Zhang Dan, a lawyer in a Jiangsu firm, is now keen to begin her legal career in an international firm. She attributes her interest to Minter Ellison’s work atmosphere. “I really enjoy the teamwork culture. On Fridays, we enjoy morning chats and once a month, the firm organises a drinks session so we get to meet and communicate with people from other practice areas,” said Zhang.
The list of temptations continues. “Solicitors in Australia are paid a wage whereas most Chinese lawyers earn their individual income with their own book of business,” said Zhang.
Zhang is placed in Minter Ellison’s Melbourne PE and capital markets team. “In China, I take on work in all practice areas including company law, labour law and commercial disputes according to client requests – there are no specialisations. But in Minter Ellison, my area of work is very specialised and I enjoy it greatly,” she added.
The lawyers are giving as much as they are taking. AllBright partner Jennifer Wang has been placed in Blake Dawson’s Melbourne office where she works under partner Justin Schmith.
The firm has since benefited from Wang’s experience and expertise in her China practice. “I conducted a presentation for the corporate team because they were very interested in the Chinese legal system. The presentation encompassed information about going public on both domestic and international boards in China,” said Wang.
Wang has also been given legal documents to read for her to familiarise herself with the Australian legal system and assist in any future M&A deals involving Chinese SOEs. But the different legal structures have set out some challenges. “Australian firms place great importance on case precedents but in China we never needed to conduct such research. This takes some getting used to,” said Wang.
The program, which seeks to foster an increased level of legal cooperation and promote a deeper cross-cultural understanding of the legal systems, has been described by participants as ‘a very enriching experience’.
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