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Ⅰ. The Macro-environment of the GBA

Guangzhou Lawyer’s Building. 11 law firms have established 17 overseas branches, covering multiple regions

around the world. The channels and mechanisms for extending legal services overseas or connecting with
overseas legal service institutions have become smoother, forming a new advantage of legal services with multi-

point layout, multi-line radiation, internal and external expansion, and full process escort. 23

(b) Development of Shenzhen legal profession

Located at the intersection of three different jurisdictions, Qianhai was the first in the country to explore

cross-border legal cooperation, almost simultaneously experimenting in multiple fields such as legislation,
judiciary, arbitration, and law firms. From groundbreaking permission to apply extraterritorial law to hear cases

in Qianhai, establishing the first Shenzhen-Hong Kong registered association of law firms, to pioneering the “Hong
Kong jury” and “Hong Kong mediation” systems, conducting pilot cooperation between Chinese and foreign

law firms, and allowing Hong Kong lawyers to participate in Qianhai international arbitration in five regions:
arbitrator, mediator, agent, expert, and witness, the openness of Qianhai’s rule of law is unparalleled in the

country. At present, Qianhai has launched more than 170 innovative achievements in the rule of law, with more
than half being replicated and promoted nationwide, on provincial, and municipal levels. Qianhai Shenzhen-

Hong Kong International Legal-services District has introduced 182 legal institutions in six categories, and the
Qianhai Court has the highest number of cases tried under Hong Kong law in the country. In 2022, the total

amount of disputes accepted by the Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration (SCIA) reached RMB 127.2
billion, ranking first in Asia and among the top three in the world. Since 2023, the number of new cases accepted

by the court has increased by 43% year-on-year, and the total number of countries and regions where the parties
involved in foreign-related cases originate has reached 140. 24

(c) Development of the Hong Kong legal profession

Hong Kong’s open-door policy has successfully attracted legal talents from all around the world, enriching
the diversity of the Hong Kong legal services market. The steady increase in the number of Hong Kong and

foreign lawyers also indicates the increasing demand for legal services to complement Hong Kong’s rapid

23 The rule of law in Greater Guangdong: Guangzhou Lawyers Association releases the “2021 Guangzhou Lawyer Industry Big Data
Report”, Guangzhou Lawyers Association (April 30, 2022), http://www.gzlawyer.org/info/ca69f70fe58a47cea49b0ca80066e364
24 The Hong Kong 2023 Policy Address mentions Qianhai 8 times, with a focus on “Shenzhen-Hong Kong Cooperation”, GBA Portal
website (November 1, 2023), http://www.cnbayarea.org.cn/homepage/ttdt/content/post_1138197.html

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