On August 8, 2019, Deputy Director-General Wang Qun, Chief of Administrative Review and Approval Division Xu Yingchun, and Staff Member of Administrative Review and Approval Division Li Cuixia of Beijing Municipal Bureau of Justice visited ZhongYin Law Firm for investigation and survey. Director and Senior Partner Yan Penghe, Management Committee Members and Senior Partners Dong Wan, Liu Zhenyu, and Wu Zetao, Senior Partner Huang Yunyan, Operation Director Fu Tingting and others received them.

Wang Qun, Deputy Director General of Beijing Municipal Bureau of Justice

In order to promote the establishment and operation of joint venture law firms in Beijing which comprise of law firms from Hong Kong, Macao and Mainland in a standardized and orderly manner, and further strengthen the cooperation among the Hong Kong, Macao and Mainland lawyer profession, according to relevant policies approved by the State Council and relevant work arrangements of the Ministry of Justice, Comrade Wang Qun and his entourage recently visited law firms with practical experience in joint venture law firm, to examine the operation mode and operation status of joint venture law firms and to summarize the pilot experience, for reference and enlightenment in developing Implementation Measures of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Justice for Establishment and Operation of Joint Venture Law Firms in Beijing Which Comprise of Law Firms from Hong Kong, Macao and Mainland (Trial) in response to the states’ new policies and in order to implement the states’ new initiatives.

Yan Penghe, Director and Senior Partner of ZhongYin Law Firm

ZLF Law Office (the “ZLF”), a joint venture among ZhongYin Law Firm, Lentu Law Firm based in Macao and FONGS Law Firm based in Hong Kong, was officially opened on July 8, 2016. It is the first Mainland-Hong Kong-Macao joint venture law firm in China. In May 2018, the State Council issued the Notice on Doing a Good Job in Duplicating and Promoting the Experience of the Fourth Reform Pilots in the Pilot Free Trade Zone. In this Notice, it is expressly required to promote across the whole country the experience in 27 reform pilots, including the flowing reform in Hengqin Pilot Free Trade Zone: “allowing establishment of more joint venture law firms in the form of Mainland-Hong Kong-Macao partnership”. In this way, the mode of the joint venture law firm is approved for reproduction and promotion across the country. At the meeting, Yan Penghe introduced the basic situation of ZLF to the visiting leaders and said that the establishment of ZLF is of great significance in promoting ZhongYin offices’ practice development and cooperation, providing legal services to enterprises in the countries along the “Belt and Road”, and globalization.

Xu Yingchun, Chief of Administrative Review and Approval Division of Beijing Municipal Bureau of Justice

Li Cuixia, Staff Member of Administrative Review and Approval Division of Beijing Municipal Bureau of Justice

Comrade Wang Qun and his entourage learned in detail about the difficulties encountered in the establishment and operation of ZLF, and carefully inquired about policy implementation, practice development, attorney assessment, personnel recruitment, and other specific work. ZhongYin attorneys participating in the Meeting answered these questions in detail. Comrade Wang Qun has high expectations for ZLF and hopes that the establishment of ZLF will bring real benefits to legal practice.

At the end of the Meeting, Comrade Wang Qun said that: “ ZhongYin Law Firm is a well-known law firm in China and a famous brand in the legal profession; I hope that ZhongYin can develop better and better!”

Dong Wan, Management Committee Member and Senior Partner of ZhongYin Law Firm

Liu Zhenyu, Management Committee Member and Senior Partner of ZhongYin Law Firm

Wu Zetao, Management Committee Member and Senior Partner of ZhongYin Law Firm

Huang Yunyan, Senior Partner of ZhongYin Law Firm

Fu Tingting, Operation Director of ZhongYin Law Firm

ZhongYin Law Firm has been committed to promoting cross-regional and cross-jurisdictional cooperation on legal affairs between the Mainland, Hong Kong, and Macao long before 2016. ZLF was established with much support and care from the Ministry of Justice, judicial circles in Hong Kong and Macao, LOCPGs in Hong Kong and Macao, Guangdong Provincial Department of Justice, Guangdong Provincial Office of Free Trade Zone, Zhuhai Municipal Government and Hengqin New District Management Committee, making 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. In the macro context of China’s current Belt and Road Initiative and strategy of building the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, ZhongYin will continue to strengthen its business layout in South China provide support to ZLF, and respond to national policies with practical actions, in order to promote the development of lawyer profession and provide clients with better and more efficient legal services.