Holman Fenwick Willan (HFW) has entered into a formal association with Chinese shipping firm Wintell & Co.
This is the second alliance between a Chinese firm and an international firm approved by the Shanghai Justice Bureau under the Shanghai Free Trade Zone pilot scheme, following the Baker & McKenzie–FenXun tie-up a year ago.
Shanghai-based Wintell & Co has around 20 partners and focuses on shipping, insurance and corporate law. It has five offices in China, covering key hubs such as Guangzhou and Tianjin.
London-headquartered HFW also has a shipping focus, and boasts around 450 lawyers globally.
The agreement is initially for a year, according to a statement.
"As the first law firm specialising in international trade to enter an association in the Shanghai Free Trade Zone, this is a significant development for HFW's practice in China,” said Henry Fung, partner and chief representative of HFW’s Shanghai office.
International law firms are seeking ways to establish associations with Chinese local law firm to expand their services in the market. Last month, Stephenson Harwood has entered into an official association with Guangzhou-based law firm Wei Tu, under the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA), a free trade agreement that allows Hong Kong law firms to operate in association with mainland Chinese firms and provide legal service in China.
