Freehills to offer legal services in Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone

United Kingdom-based Herbert Smith Freehills said on Wednesday that it has become the sixth international law firm to be given approval to operate in the Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone after joining hands with Shanghai-based Kewei Law Firm.

As part of the joint operations, the two law firms will provide legal advisory services to international and Chinese companies in sectors like cross-border mergers and acquisitions, corporate affairs, banking and finance, disputes, competition, capital market and financial regulation.

In December 2014, the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Justice released two regulations which gave the green light to the joint operations model. Under this, a foreign law firm and a Chinese law firm can send their lawyers to each other's offices as legal consultants. Such a business model is only allowed within the Shanghai FTZ at present, and at least one law firm should be geographically operating in the FTZ.