Suzhou has become one of a few non-capital cities that national firms regard as a "must have" location. Following in the footsteps of AllBright and Yingke, which opened an office in Suzhou earlier this year, Beijing's Zhongyin has recently launched its 15th branch office in the city.

Quick facts: Suzhou legal industry

* 145 firms in Suzhou * Shanghai firms with an office in the city include Yishi Law Firm, Shimin Law Firm, Jianwei Law Firm and Sloma & Co * Beijing firms with an office in the city include King & Wood, Yingke, Zhongyin and Huicheng

The Suzhou office is Zhongyin's fourth location in the Yangtze River Delta region, after Shanghai, Nanjing and Taizhou. The office currently has 19 lawyers and 5 partners and is headed up by partner Zhou Xueming, who relocated from Beijing.

The new office is set to meet the increasing demand for legal services from a vast pool of domestic companies and foreign-invited enterprises in Jiangsu. "Suzhou has one of the fastest-growing economies in China and it has become one of the most dynamic and promising legal markets in the country," said Zhou. Lawyers in Suzhou have identified foreign investment, capital markets, IP and real estate as some of the most prosperous practice areas.

With more than 20,000 foreign-invested enterprises, Suzhou is one of the most popular cities for foreign investment. The city has attracted hefty investments from international conglomerates like Nokia, Samsung, Phillips, Dupont, Emerson and 3M. It is also a national leader in the high-tech, export, shipping and manufacturing industries.ALB

 Related stories:

• Nanjing firmly on radar of Beijing firms (3 September 2010)
• AllBright looks to Suzhou for growth  (23 June 2010)
• Zhong Yin adds three and launches in Taizhou (25 May 2010)