9月1日,总部位于北京的安杰律师事务所和世泽律师事务所正式宣布合并。两家律所已签署合并协议,之后将启动合并工作,计划于 2022 年 1 月组建安杰世泽律师事务所。这一战略合并将汇聚两家律所(以及香港联营所浩宸律师事务所和陈冯吴律师事务所)在诸多业务领域和行业的优势与资源。
据悉,合并后的律所将拥有北京、上海、深圳、广州、香港、海口、南京七地办公室,超过500名法律专业人员和辅助人员。
安杰律师事务所成立于2012年,专长于保险与再保险、知识产权、反垄断与反不正当竞争、收购与兼并、劳动法、争议解决、私募股权与风险投资、海商海事、资本市场与证券等业务领域,安杰与浩宸联营,为客户提供中国大陆和香港的法律服务;世泽律师事务所成立于2004年,专注于兼并与收购、私募股权和风险投资、知识产权、诉讼、银行与金融等领域,特别熟悉生命科学、数字娱乐、能源和基础设施和金融科技等行业。世泽与陈冯吴联营,为客户的跨境交易提供无缝的法律服务。
世泽管理合伙人丁震宇律师在新闻稿中说:“合并后的律所拥有的集合专业知识和财务资源将使我们能够提供客户期望的高水平服务,同时创造巨大的规模经济。”
安杰的主任詹昊博士则表示:“希望两家事务所能够借助此次合并在服务领域、覆盖区域、人员规模等方面再上一个台阶;面对中国法律服务市场的强劲发展势头,希望安杰世泽事务所能够以此次合并做一个完美的回应。”
伴随规模化成为中国法律市场发展关键词,近年不少律所以合并对该趋势做出回应。2020年,多家地方性大所加入中联律师事务所,形成新的全国性律所品牌;同年,江苏漫修、江苏亿诚和上海国创律师事务所合并;2021年,北京高众律师事务所则整体并入汇业律师事务所,形成汇业北京办公室。
Boutique firms Anjie and Broad & Bright announce merger
Beijing-headquartered Anjie Law Firm and Broad & Bright Law Firm have announced the merger of the two firms on September 1. The two firms have signed merger agreement and will merge into an integrated single firm, named Anjie & BB Law Firm, expecting to take place by January 1, 2022. This strategic merger permits Anjie and Broad & Bright, together with their association firms in Hong Kong, namely Hauzen LLP and CFN Lawyers, to integrate their professional strength and resources in leading practice areas and industries.
According to the firms’ press release, Anjie & BB will maintain offices in the seven cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Hong Kong SAR, Haikou and Nanjing, with over 500 legal professionals and support staffs. .
Founded in 2012, Anjie focuses on areas of insurance and reinsurance, intellectual property, antitrust and anti-unfair competition, M&A, labor & employment, dispute resolution, PE&VC, maritime and admiralty, and capital markets; meanwhile Broad & Bright was founded in 2004 and advises on areas of M&A, PE&VC, intellectual property, litigation, and banking and finance, with special focuses on the life sciences, digital entertainment, energy & infrastructure, and fintech and financial services sectors.
Philips Ding, managing partner of Broad & Bright, commented in the press release: "The integrated and multiplied expertise in various practice areas and stronger financial resources will allow us to provide more sophisticated service satisfying clients’ requirements.”
Zhan Hao, the chairman of executive committee at Anjie commented: " I expect that, as a result of this fully integrated merger, Anjie & BB will be able to deliver an excellent performance in responding to the strong growth momentum of the Chinese legal services market."
With scaling-up being the major trend of China’s legal market, many firms have responded by mergers in recent years. In 2020, several local big law firms merged into SGLA Law Firm to form a new national brand; in 2021, Beijing High Law Partners merged into Shanghai-headquartered Hui Ye Law Firm and became its Beijing office.
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