To advance the joint partnership between Mainland law firms and Hong Kong and Macao law firms in Anhui in a standardized and orderly manner and deepen exchanges and cooperation between the legal professions of Hong Kong, Macao and the Mainland, the Anhui Provincial Department of Justice recently issued the Measures for the Implementation of Joint Partnership Between Mainland Law Firms and Law Firms of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Macao Special Administrative Region in Anhui Province (hereinafter referred to as the Measures). The document specifies full-process rules governing access, approval, practice and supervision for the joint partnership of law firms across Anhui, Hong Kong and Macao, marking that legal service cooperation among the three regions has embarked on an institutionalized and standardized track.

Centered on Anhui’s opening-up drive and the legal demands of local enterprises going global, the Measures set out qualification requirements for partnership participants, cooperation models and business scopes. It clearly differentiates the scope of legal practice covering Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao legal matters, and standardizes the financial, personnel and premises management of joint partnership entities. Meanwhile, a full-chain supervision mechanism covering annual reporting, dynamic inspection, routine oversight and exit administration has been established to consolidate territorial supervision responsibilities and ensure compliant and orderly practice of joint partnerships.

The rollout of the Measures constitutes a key initiative to implement the decisions and arrangements of the Anhui Provincial Party Committee and Provincial People’s Government as well as the work requirements of the Ministry of Justice, and improve Anhui’s foreign-related legal service system. Leveraging the joint partnership platform, market entities can access one-stop cross-border legal services covering the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao. With the global cooperation networks of Hong Kong and Macao law firms, enterprises can efficiently address legal needs arising from overseas investment and financing, commercial disputes and other matters. This will advance the alignment of legal service rules, resource sharing and personnel exchanges between Anhui, Hong Kong and Macao, further pool foreign-related legal resources, enhance service capacity in cross-border investment and financing, commercial arbitration, foreign-related compliance, and dispute resolution involving Hong Kong and Macao parties. It will continuously foster a world-class market-oriented, law-based and international business environment, and better serve high-quality development and high-standard opening-up across the province.

Source: Lawyers Affairs Division, Anhui Department of Justice & Anhui Lawyers Association