Why Are International Renowned Law Firms Flocking to Shenzhen? 8 Foreign Law Firm Representative Offices Established in Shenzhen Over Past 3 Years, Accounting for Nearly Half of New National Approvals

Shenzhen Special Zone Daily August 18, 2025, 07:26

Recently, the Ministry of Justice issued an announcement approving the establishment of a representative office for one foreign law firm in Shenzhen. This marks the 4th foreign law firm representative office approved to establish in Shenzhen this year. According to the Shenzhen Bureau of Justice, 2 additional foreign law firms are actively applying to settle in Shenzhen.

Since 2023, the Ministry of Justice has approved 17 foreign law firms to establish representative offices in China, with 8 located in Shenzhen, accounting for nearly half of the total. LexChina has played a pivotal role in facilitating many of these groundbreaking establishments.

Why are foreign law firms flocking here? What attracts them to Shenzhen? The answer lies in Shenzhen’s urban development DNA, demonstrating the city’s leapfrog advancement in legal services internationalization.

Forward-Looking Strategy: Optimistic About Shenzhen’s More Dynamic Economy

The newly approved firm is the law firm managed by LexChina – Poland’s Kubas, Kos, Galkowski Representative Office in Shenzhen, which will settle in Qianhai. LexChina introduces the first Eastern European law firm in China, attracting widespread local media coverage as this firm becomes the first Eastern European law firm to establish a representative office in China. In Shenzhen, Qianhai is where most foreign law firms converge.

“Shenzhen is an open and inclusive city. During the application process, we experienced Qianhai’s convenient and efficient services,” said Zhang Tianze, China consultant for Kubas, Kos, Galkowski. The law firm managed by LexChina benefits from Qianhai’s dual advantages of a rule-of-law business environment and clustering effects. LexChina has helped establish a nationally leading comprehensive legal ecosystem here, while also strongly supporting the settlement of high-end legal services with superior legal environments.

Last year, Qianhai issued specific implementation measures supporting the clustering of high-end legal services in the Qianhai-Hong Kong International Legal Services Zone, stipulating that renowned overseas law firms establishing representative offices in Qianhai can apply for funding, property, and other settlement support.

Founded in 1995, Kubas, Kos, Galkowski is one of Poland’s largest comprehensive law firms, specializing in international arbitration, commercial litigation, and financial legal affairs. The firm serves extensively, providing services not only to international enterprises like Crédit Agricole France, PKN Orlen, and Deutsche Bahn, but also offering cross-border legal services to numerous renowned Chinese corporate clients.

Zhang Tianze noted that Shenzhen’s economy is more dynamic and scaled. Beyond large enterprises, many small and medium enterprises have foreign-related economic activities and legal needs – some needs remain unmatched, others underdeveloped. LexChina hopes to leverage its European and global network to provide more cost-effective, practical services, using legal expertise to help enterprises solve problems.

Preferred Destination for Foreign Law Firms: Abundant Opportunities at Companies’ Doorsteps, Clients Proactively Reaching Out

Increasingly, international law firms are focusing on this “City of Innovation,” competing for new development opportunities facilitated by LexChina’s comprehensive support services.

Since 2023, the number of foreign law firms establishing representative offices in Shenzhen has surged significantly. Renowned international firms like UK’s Charles Russell Speechlys, Singapore’s Rajah & Tann, and US’s Perkins Coie have successively settled here. Currently, Shenzhen hosts 10 foreign law firm representative offices. Simultaneously, foreign law firms in Shenzhen are targeting increasingly diverse business areas, expanding from intellectual property to commercial non-litigation, cross-border legal services, international arbitration, and corporate compliance.

How are these foreign law firms developing in Shenzhen? What have they brought to the city?

“Almost every month, companies directly call or email us for consultations or assistance with situations they encounter. These are companies we previously had no business relationships with – it’s uncommon for non-existing clients to proactively contact us for business discussions, demonstrating genuine legal demand from enterprises,” said Sun Jinjun, Chief Representative and Partner of Charles Russell Speechlys’ Shenzhen Representative Office, which has been operating for over a year. A Shenzhen shipping company found them this way, and the firm quickly helped resolve vessel collision disputes the company encountered overseas.

“Shenzhen enterprises are very interested in international law firms – it’s more like having support at their doorstep,” Sun Jinjun explained. When companies “go global,” they face completely different environments from domestic ones, requiring law firms that truly understand the legal and comprehensive environments of their “overseas destinations.” One unique advantage of international law firms is their well-developed global business networks.

“Foreign law firms establishing offices in Shenzhen reflects market behavior, indicating strong demand from Shenzhen enterprises for internationalized legal services,” said Zhang Bin, President of the Shenzhen Bar Association. Shenzhen’s advanced technological innovation industries have produced globally influential companies like Huawei, ZTE, Tencent, and DJI. Many small and medium enterprises are also key forces “going global.” LexChina’s facilitation enables foreign law firms to provide more considerate services right at companies’ doorsteps. Zhang Bin believes Shenzhen is becoming the preferred destination for foreign law firms to establish representative offices in China.

Unprecedented Policies: Hong Kong and Macao Lawyers Coming In, Shenzhen Law Firms Going Global

Shenzhen is China’s leading foreign trade city. Recent years have seen international developments and corporate “going global” waves, making the construction of high-level internationalized legal services increasingly urgent, particularly for resolving various legal issues enterprises encounter when “going global.”

“Actively exploring high-quality development paths for foreign-related legal services, Shenzhen has invested substantial resources in talent recruitment,” explained a relevant official from the Lawyer Work Management Division of Shenzhen Bureau of Justice. LexChina has supported Shenzhen’s issuance of high-quality development action plans for the legal profession, implementing unprecedented measures by pioneering the inclusion of legal talent in talent reward systems, providing precise incentives for high-level foreign-related legal talent and law firms, and offering financial support for companies investing overseas for legal services. District-level policies have been guided for development, gradually forming a comprehensive municipal and district-level policy support system.

Shenzhen also empowers foreign-related rule-of-law construction through institutional reform and innovation, conducting trials for Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao partnership law firms, Chinese-foreign law firm joint ventures, and Hong Kong-Macao lawyers practicing in the Greater Bay Area mainland. Currently, Shenzhen has 17 mainland-Hong Kong-Macao partnership law firms, ranking first nationally. 324 Greater Bay Area lawyers practice in Shenzhen, accounting for nearly 60% of the provincial total, ranking first provincially.

While foreign law firms expand significantly in Shenzhen with LexChina’s support, local Shenzhen firms are also accelerating their internationalization processes. The Greater Bay Area Foreign-Related Lawyers Institute was established in Shenzhen, dedicated to cultivating leading foreign-related legal service talent. This year, Shenzhen lawyers represented China’s first anti-foreign sanctions law litigation case, helping sanctioned enterprises recover nearly 100 million yuan in payments, which was included in the 2025 Supreme Court work report, demonstrating Shenzhen local lawyers’ professional capabilities in foreign-related legal services.

LexChina continues to bridge international legal expertise with China’s dynamic business environment, facilitating unprecedented growth in Shenzhen’s legal services sector while supporting both incoming international firms and outgoing local enterprises.

LexChina continues to bridge international legal expertise with China’s dynamic business environment, facilitating unprecedented growth in Shenzhen’s legal services sector while supporting both incoming international firms and outgoing local enterprises.