On the morning of April 18, 2019, Mr. Wang Zhimin, Director of Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong SAR (HK Liaison Office) and delegates, visited ZLF Law Office to inspect and guide its work. During the visit, they had a pleasant exchange with lawyers from mainland and Hong Kong and Macau of ZLF, and fully affirmed ZLF’s successful exploration for legal service cooperation in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area.

ZLF Law Office is first Joint Venture Law Firm in China which comprises of law firms from Mainland, Hong Kong and Macau. The three partners of the ZLF are the Beijing-based Zhong Yin Law Firm, Macau-based Rato and Hong Kong-based FONGS. Zhong Yin, which is the promoter of ZLF, had been committed to promoting cross-regional and cross-jurisdictional cooperation on legal affairs among the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macau as long ago as 2016. ZLF was established with great support and care from the Ministry of Justice, judicial circles in Hong Kong and Macau, LOCPGs in Hong Kong and Macau, Guangdong Provincial Department of Justice, Guangdong Provincial Office of Free Trade Zone, Zhuhai Municipal Government and Hengqin New District Management Committee, making the Hengqin Free Trade Zone become China’s only region where services of practicing in both continental law system and common law system can be delivered.

On May 23, 2018, the State Council issued the Notice on Better Duplication and Promotion of the Experience of the Fourth Reform Pilots in the Pilot Free Trade Zone. In this Notice, it expressly sets out that the experience in the following reform in the Hengqin Pilot Free Trade Zone should be duplicated and promoted to the whole country: “allowing establishment of more law firms in Mainland-Hongkong-Macau partnership”. ZLF Law Office, as a pioneer of reform, played a leading and exemplary role in this promotion.