近日，新加坡“四大”律所之一、立杰律师事务所获中国司法部批准，将在深圳设立新的代表处，预计将于今年第四季度开始运营。
这是立杰在中国内地的第二家分支机构：21年前，立杰开设了上海办公室，并于今年初迎来国际仲裁合伙人丘健雄律师加盟。
未来深圳代表处也将由丘律师领导，并由立杰新加坡办公室中国业务组律师罗永辉担任首席代表，陈焕龙担任代表。丘律师告诉彭博社，深圳代表处初期将由10名律师组成，聚焦于国际仲裁，以及工程建设、TMT领域业务。
立杰指出，中国粤港澳大湾区的城市融合速度不断提升，当地企业对于东南亚投资兴趣浓厚。上述发展将促进经济增长，并在未来几年驱动珠三角地区对于跨境法律服务的需求。
深圳代表处设立在前海，这里有深港国际法务区，同时通过“税收、基建、知识产权和商标保护等政策，吸引了一批银行、IT企业、物流公司，以及专业服务机构入驻”，立杰说。
同时，立杰管理合伙人汪柄坤指出：“立杰在替代性争议解决领域的实力和前海也十分契合——当地正在打造国际仲裁中心。”
“中国和东南亚之间的经贸往来日益密切，客户迫切寻求像立杰这样能够提供跨司法管辖区服务的区域性律所。”汪律师补充道。
目前，共有7家外国律师事务所设立了驻深圳代表处，其中5家选择落户前海。
Singapore’s Rajah & Tann to open 2nd China office in Shenzhen, eyes GBA opportunities
Singapore Big Four firm Rajah & Tann has received approval from China’s Ministry of Justice to establish a new representative office in Shenzhen, which will commence operations in the fourth quarter of this year.
The Shenzhen office will be R&T's second branch in Mainland China: 21 years ago, the firm opened an office in Shanghai. It will be led by international arbitration partner Hew Kian Heong, who joined the firm earlier this year, and have Loh Yong Hui and David Isidore Tan from the firm’s Singapore-based Greater China practice as representatives.
Hew earlier told Bloomberg that the Shenzhen office will initially consist of 10 lawyers, focusing on international arbitration and corporate work in the construction and TMT sectors.
In a statement, Rajah & Tann said that the planned expansion comes at a time of rapid integration of cities in China’s Greater Bay Area, with a surge in Chinese investments into Southeast Asia. “These developments are expected to fuel economic growth and drive demand for cross-border legal services in the Pearl River delta in the coming years,” the firm said.
The Shenzhen office is located in Qianhai, which hosts the Shenzhen-Hong Kong International Legal Zone and has attracted banks, IT and logistic companies and professional services firms in recent years because of favourable tax policies, excellent infrastructure, and IP and trademark protection.
"R&T’s strengths in alternative dispute resolution fit well in Qianhai, which aims to become an international arbitration centre," added Patrick Ang, managing partner of R&T, in the statement. “The rise in trade and investments between China and Southeast Asia has seen clients looking to regional firms with cross-jurisdictional capabilities like Rajah & Tann.”
A total of seven foreign law firms have established representative offices in Shenzhen, with five of them choosing to open in Qianhai.
Earlier this year, another Singapore Big Four firm, Allen & Gledhill, opened an office in Shanghai, its first in China.
