Recently, Shanghai Judicial Bureau has released the Implementation Method (Trial) of the Pilot Partnership Joint Operation between Law Firms in Hong Kong, Macao and Mainland of China, which will be officially implemented on December 1 this year. With the introduction of the Implementation Method (Trial), Shanghai will become the second city in China to launch a joint venture between law firms in Hong Kong, Macao and mainland after Guangdong province. Compared with previous trials in some cities in Guangdong province, the "Implementation Method (Trial)" has abolished the limit on the number of joint law firms and explicitly required joint law firms to join the Shanghai Lawyers Association as group members.

The introduction of Trial is an important institutional arrangement which aims to implement the Central Government’s "The Opinions of the Development of Foreign-related Legal Services”, and a vital measure of the "Shanghai’s Action Plan to carry out major move to further expand opening to speed up the establishment of an new open and economic system”, i.e. the "100 Shanghai Opening Wider to the Outside", and the Opinions of Shanghai Municipality on Implementing the Development of Foreign-related Legal Services. It marks the further opening of Shanghai legal services in Hong Kong and Macao regions, to push Shanghai to exchange and cooperate with legal services units in Hong Kong and Macao.

Founded in March 2007, Shanghai Nuo Di Law Firm is located on the bund of Shanghai. We will continue to support the policies of the Shanghai municipal government and provide strong protection for foreign enterprises and foreign friends' rights and interests in China. Please visit www.shndlaw.com for more information.