2 Jan 2025
Scene of the press conference.
Building a Service Platform for Law Firms to "Go Out"
According to reports, the "Measures" consist of four parts with 23 specific measures, including development goals, main measures, organizational guarantees, and supplementary provisions.
These include optimizing the layout for external exchanges, guiding the municipal lawyer association to conduct overseas legal market research, and building a platform to facilitate law firms in Guangzhou to "go out"; organizing professional lawyers to provide public legal services for government foreign affairs activities.
At the same time, it promotes the improvement of the partnership mechanism, striving to optimize the establishment conditions and provide comprehensive policy support for mainland partnerships with Hong Kong and Macao law firms; making full use of existing open policies in various districts to attract Hong Kong and Macao law firms to settle or conduct business in Guangzhou.
In addition, a high ground for legal practice in the Greater Bay Area will be created, providing convenient services such as housing, taxation, and insurance for lawyers in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area; eligible lawyers from the Greater Bay Area will be included in Guangzhou's high-end and scarce talent directory, and personal income tax preferential policy fiscal subsidies will be implemented.
The "Measures" also mention strengthening the introduction of high-level lawyers, improving policies for foreign lawyers coming to practice or work in terms of entry and exit, foreign exchange management, and professional insurance; encouraging law firms to hire foreign lawyers as legal consultants, effectively utilizing the partnership mechanism of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao law firms to increase the introduction of talent from Hong Kong and Macao.
Wang Liping, Director of the Lawyer Work Management Office of the Guangzhou Justice Bureau, stated that there are currently 1,061 law firms in Guangzhou, with 39 of them having over 100 employees, most of which are small and medium-sized firms. The bureau adheres to the principle of "attracting strong talent and nurturing excellence, specializing and developing," supporting large firms in expanding their business to enhance international competitiveness while encouraging small and medium-sized firms and newly established firms to focus on key industry areas.
She emphasized, "We will continue to strengthen the training of foreign-related lawyers, especially focusing on the growth and success of young lawyers." Currently, there are over 16,000 young lawyers aged 40 and below, and the bureau will implement targeted "order-based" training to address talent gaps in foreign-related, internet, and emerging fields.
Promoting the Connection of Regulatory Mechanisms between Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Macao
"Throughout the entire 'Measures,' I feel the enthusiasm and sincerity of Guangzhou for our Hong Kong and Macao lawyers," said He Junyao, President of the Foreign-Related Legal Services Branch of the Guangzhou Lawyers Association and a lawyer from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. He noted that the "Measures" continue to improve the mechanism for partnership law firms in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao, providing various support services for lawyers in the Greater Bay Area and facilitating communication and exchanges among industries in Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Macao. "These measures strengthen the communication within the legal industry of Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Macao, further promoting the alignment of legal rules and mechanisms."
The "Measures" specifically mention the work of talent in foreign-related legal services, including establishing a global high-end think tank for foreign-related rule of law in Guangzhou, arranging courses, research visits, and practical training for foreign-related lawyers to enhance their theoretical and practical business skills, and providing funding for young lawyers to participate in international exchanges and training.
He Junyao pointed out, "These measures solidly promote the construction of talent in foreign-related legal services and lay a good foundation for the alignment of legal rules and mechanisms."
He noted that the "Measures" clearly state that eligible lawyers from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area will receive fiscal subsidies and personal income tax preferential policies in accordance with the relevant regulations, which is very attractive to them.
After the conference, He Junyao told Southern Metropolis Daily that the training plan for talent in foreign-related legal services in Guangzhou will be released soon, "the earliest can be launched in mid-February next year!"
He explained that the courses required for talent in foreign-related legal services will cover cross-border services, e-commerce, anti-dumping, and anti-monopoly laws, as well as practical training in international companies and even going abroad for practical training in Europe, America, and Southeast Asia.
Deng Chuan Yuan, president of the Guangzhou Lawyers Association, stated that the new leadership of the association will be organized to deeply study and understand the spirit of the "Measures," "incorporating it into the overall development of the industry in the next four years, and formulating specific implementation plans. At the same time, we will organize special training, exchange seminars, and other activities to help lawyers deeply understand the spirit of the policy, clarify the direction of development, and truly benefit from the policy."
Written by: Southern Metropolis Daily reporter Yang Ting