Chinese law firm Broad & Bright has set up shop in Hong Kong and Guangzhou, and plans to launch an office in Tokyo by the end of this year, a partner at the firm has said.
In an interview with ALB, Broad & Bright Shanghai partner Philips Ding said the firm has set up its Hong Kong office in association with local firm CFN Lawyers. Ding, along with partners Ji Jun and Keith Yuan, will split their time between Hong Kong and their offices in China.
Besides the three partners, the firm aims to have six fee-earners resident in the Hong Kong office in the first year, said Ding.
Lawyers in the Hong Kong office will work closely with CFN Lawyers’ seven fee-earners on primarily corporate M&A and capital markets matters.
“We are seeing more mandates in the capital markets space, and we expect to do more of this work in the next few years,” said Ding.
In July, the firm acted as PRC counsel to e-commerce firm Cogobuy Group on its $198 million initial public offering on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
Broad & Bright has also opened its doors in Guangzhou after obtaining regulatory approval from the Judicial Bureau of Guangzhou Municipality. Partner Dong Hui will head the firm’s office, with support from partner Keith Yuan and six fee-earners. The firm wants to grow this team to about 15 lawyers over the next couple of years, said Ding.
The Guangzhou office will advise both local and international companies on corporate and litigation matters, as well as support the Hong Kong office on its IPO-related work. The firm is also looking to build upon its Japanese practice by assisting Japanese companies with their operations in Southern China.
Broad & Bright has further plans for expansion, and has set its sights on a Tokyo office launch in late December, Ding told ALB.
“We have plans to submit an application to the Japanese judicial authorities to open a foreign office in Tokyo. Similar to our strategy in Hong Kong, we want to collaborate with a good local partner to solidify our footprint in Tokyo.”
A successful launch in Tokyo would create a fifth office for Broad & Bright, in addition to its existing establishments in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong.
