Shanghai-headquartered Duan & Duan has opened a new office in the city of Urumqi, the capital Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwestern China. Duan & Duan is the first full-service law firm in Shanghai establishing presence in the region.

The firm told ALB that the opening of the Urumqi office, which currently has a headcount of about 40 people, was partly based on incorporating several local teams from diverse practices. The new office will focus on criminal defence and criminal compliance, asset acquisition, construction and real estate, domestic affairs and wealth inheritance, intellectual property, finance insurance, labour, and dispute resolution.

The recent years are seeing quite a few Chinese full-service firms opening offices in Urumqi, with Dentons’ early foray in 2011, YingKe Law Firm and DeHeng Law Offices following the steps in 2015, and Beijing DHH Law Firm’s entry in early 2019.

As China designs Xinjiang, which sits along the ancient Silk Road, as a regional hub, Duan & Duan’s Urumqi office will facilitate the convenience to better support the firm’s clients on B&R projects.

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