6月25日，司法部批准美国摩根路易斯律师事务所、英国夏礼文律师事务所设立深圳代表处。至此，于深圳设立分支机构的国际律所数量达到5家。
摩根路易斯深圳是该所在中国的第四家代表处。深圳代表处将由知识产权合伙人朱韶斌律师领导，其上海管理律师唐波同时出任代表。
朱、唐两位律师都服务于知识产权领域，摩根路易斯也告诉ALB，未来其深圳代表处意图扩大该所在中国的知识产权业务，深圳团队将服务于各类知识产权争议案件，包括专利和商业秘密纠纷，也将代理授权协议和商业合同的协商及起草业务，并主导交易及尽职调查。
摩根路易斯希望深圳代表处能够将该地区科技和生命健康企业的需求，和其跨越亚洲、中东、欧洲及美国的服务能力链接在一起。
摩根路易斯目前在中国北京、上海、香港、深圳有约90名律师，其中包括21名合伙人。
夏礼文深圳是该所在中国的第三家代表处。其深圳代表处由香港合伙人孙晋军律师领导，白睿律师作为代表。孙律师是航空器融资、租赁、贸易领域专家；白律师则服务于建筑行业。
值得注意的是，夏礼文深圳设立于前海，这是深港之间的一块特殊合作区，主要鼓励现代服务业发展。
“深圳办公室之所以能够获批，是因为夏礼文香港办公室的数位律师已于2022年通过粤港澳大湾区律师考试并拿到了执业证，未来能够在大湾区的9座珠三角城市提供商事服务。”夏礼文说道。
前海和上海自贸区、海南自贸区一道，是中国唯三许可中外律师事务所展开联营试点的地区，不过，在前海联营试点的前提是外资所已在广东省设立代表处。
目前，夏礼文在中国上海、香港、深圳有75位律师，包括20名合伙人，主要服务于航空、大宗商品、建筑、能源、保险、航运等领域。
深圳于2017年迎来第一家外资所——美国布林克斯律师事务所入驻，随后又于2019年迎来美国斐锐律师事务所、英国懋真律师事务所。三家律所在全球范围内都以知识产权业务著称。
此外，英国所罗思、美国所博钦在深圳设立有知识产权代理机构，英国所西盟斯则通过其香港所在深圳设立有代表处。
US firm Morgan Lewis and UK firm HFW become latest int’l firms to set up shops in Shenzhen
Upon approvals from the China Ministry of Justice, Philadelphia-headquartered law firm Morgan Lewis and London-based law firm Holman Fenwick Willan (“HFW”) have become the latest two international law firms to launch a local office in Shenzhen, becoming only the fourth and fifth firms to do so in the southern tech hub of China.
Morgan Lewis Shenzhen will be the firm’s fourth office in China. The new office will be led by IP partner Zhu Shaobin, who currently splits his time between Shanghai and Silicon Valley, and also has Shanghai-based managing associate Tang Bo as representative.
Both Zhu and Tang advise on IP-related matters. The firm tells ALB that the Shenzhen office aims to expand its intellectual property reach in China, with the team litigating the full range of IP cases, including patent and trade secrets disputes, as well as drafting and negotiating license agreements and commercial contracts and leading transactions and due diligence.
It also hopes the new office will further connect the region's technology and life sciences companies to the firm’s full service and industry capabilities throughout Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the United States.
Morgan Lewis currently has around 90 lawyers, including 21 partners across Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Shenzhen.
Meanwhile, HFW Shenzhen will be the firm’s third office in China. The Shenzhen office will see the leadership of partner Justin Sun, who is currently based in Hong Kong and focuses on aircraft finance, leasing and trading. It also has partner Ben Bury, who is a specialist construction lawyer, as a representative.
It is noteworthy that HFW is setting up an office in Qianhai, a special cooperation zone between Shenzhen and Hong Kong that focuses especially on the growth of the modern service industry.
“This office approval comes after a number of lawyers from HFW's Hong Kong office passed the GBA Legal Qualification Examination and received their practising certificates in 2022, enabling them to advise on commercial matters in the nine Pearl River Delta municipalities in the GBA,” says HFW in a statement.
Qianhai is one of the three special zones, together with Shanghai and Hainan FTZs, where China allows foreign firms to form joint ventures with China firms. However, in order to do so, a foreign law firm needs to establish a presence in Guangdong province first.
HFW has over 75 lawyers in Greater China (Shanghai, Hong Kong, Shenzhen), including 20 partners, and is a market leader in aviation, commodities, construction, energy and resources, insurance, shipping, etc.
Shenzhen opened door to international law firms in 2017 with the arrival of U.S. firm Brinks Gilson & Lione. In 2019, it again saw the arrivals of US firm Fish & Richardson and UK firm Maucher Jenkins. All three firms are recognised for their IP services worldwide.
Besides, UK firm Rouse and US firm Perkins Coie both have an IP agency in Shenzhen, with UK firm Simmons & Simmons having a representative office under its Hong Kong branch.
