经上海市司法局批准，总部位于伦敦的诺顿罗氏律师事务所与上海市太平洋律师事务所正式在上海自贸区设立联营办公室。全称为上海市太平洋律师事务所与英国诺顿罗氏律师事务所（自贸试验区）联营办公室。
据悉，该联营办公室将专注于为客户提供涵盖公司事务与并购、金融监管、反垄断、知识产权以及争议解决等广泛领域的法律服务。
专注于中国境内商事法律服务的上海市太平洋律师事务所成立于1994年，据上海律师信息平台显示，该所目前有26位律师，包括6位合伙人。
其中，负责人刘建强律师主要领导该所知识产权业务，他曾在天驰君泰律师事务所工作多年；劳动法合伙人齐斌律师则曾就职于普华永道旗下的信栢律师事务所；此前来自金诚同达律师事务所的合伙人唐小波律师主导公司及并购业务；同样专注于公司及并购领域的还有合伙人童国珍律师；银行及融资合伙人高子嬿律师曾就职于中伦律师事务所；来自金杜律师事务所的合伙人黄荣鑫律师领导争议与调查领域。
诺顿罗氏全球管理合伙人Peter Scott表示：“我们非常高兴与上海市太平洋律师事务所成立联营办公室的申请获得上海市司法局批准。这是增强我们在中国市场法律服务能力的具有战略意义的一步，也展现了我们对中国市场的坚定信心及长期投入。”
上海市太平洋律师事务所负责人、合伙人刘建强律师表示：“诺顿罗氏卓越的国际法律服务水准及广泛的全球网络平台与我们的本土优势相得益彰，能够为我们的中国客户进军海外市场提供强有力的法律服务支持。我们也衷心期待深化双方的合作机制，为满足诺顿罗氏的客户在中国境内的法律服务需求贡献力量。”
诺顿罗氏曾在2002年和2006年先后在北京和上海设立代表处，该所在一份新闻稿中表示，通过此次联营双方将充分整合诺顿罗氏的前沿国际法律服务实力和广泛的全球平台优势与上海市太平洋律师事务所高质量的中国法律服务能力，实现优势互补、各司所长，共同为客户打造更全方位、更优质高效的一站式法律服务体验。
这也并不是近期唯一一起在上海自贸区设立联营所的例子。本月，总部位于伦敦的高伟绅律师事务所也已与上海和平律师事务所建立联营关系。
目前，上海自贸区共有 10 家联营办公室。
NRF launches Shanghai FTZ joint operation with local firm Pacific Legal
London-based firm Norton Rose Fulbright and Shanghai Pacific Legal have established a joint operation office in the Shanghai Free Trade Zone (FTZ), following approval from the Shanghai Justice Bureau.
The joint venture, formally named "Shanghai Pacific Law Firm and Norton Rose Fulbright (Shanghai Free Trade Zone) Joint Operation Office," will focus on providing legal services across a broad spectrum of practice areas including corporate matters and mergers and acquisitions, financial regulation, antitrust, intellectual property, and dispute resolution.
Shanghai Pacific Legal, established in 1994 and focused on domestic commercial legal services in China, currently employs 26 lawyers including six partners, according to public records.
The firm's lead partner, Liu Jianqiang, heads its intellectual property practice and previously worked at Tian Chi Jun Tai Law Firm for several years. Labor law partner Qi Bin formerly worked at PwC's Xin Bai Law Firm; Corporate and M&A practice is led by partner Tang Xiaobo, who joined from Jincheng Tongda & Neal, while partner Tong Guozhen also specializes in corporate and M&A. Banking and finance partner Gao Ziyan previously worked at Zhong Lun Law Firm, while disputes and investigations are led by partner Huang Rongxin, formerly worked for King & Wood Mallesons.
"We are delighted that our application to establish a joint operation office with Shanghai Pacific Law Firm has been approved by the Shanghai Justice Bureau. This represents a strategically significant step in enhancing our legal service capabilities in the Chinese market and demonstrates our firm commitment and long-term investment in China," said Peter Scott, NRF's Global managing partner.
Liu Jianqiang, managing partner of Shanghai Pacific Legal, added: "Norton Rose Fulbright's outstanding international legal service standards and extensive global network platform complement our local advantages, enabling us to provide powerful legal support to our Chinese clients expanding into overseas markets. We also look forward to deepening our cooperation mechanism to contribute to meeting Norton Rose Fulbright's clients' legal service needs within China."
In addition, NRF established representative offices in Beijing and Shanghai in 2002 and 2006 respectively. The firm stated in a press release that through this joint operation, both parties will fully integrate Norton Rose Fulbright's cutting-edge international legal service capabilities and extensive global platform advantages with Shanghai Pacific Legal's high-quality Chinese legal service capabilities, achieving complementary strengths to jointly create a more comprehensive, efficient one-stop legal service experience for clients.
This is not the only recent example of a joint operation being established in the Shanghai Free Trade Zone. Earlier this month, London-headquartered Clifford Chance also formed a joint operation with Shanghai He Ping Law Firm, further highlighting the growing trend of international law firm collaborations in the zone.
Shanghai FTZ now has 10 JV firms.
