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III. Problems in Cooperation

(b) Fewer Hong Kong law firms meet the conditions for cooperation

According to the survey data, 28.3% of the law firms indicate that relatively few Hong Kong law firms seek
to fulfil the conditions for cooperation between the two regions, despite the willingness for business cooperation.
This may be attributed to the higher admission standards and practising qualification requirements for lawyers in

the Mainland.

(c) Conflicts of expertise

21.7% of the Mainland law firms believe that differences in professional knowledge also hinder cooperation
between the two regions. The two legal systems differ greatly in terms of legal origin, legal structure, legislative

techniques, legislative procedures, litigation procedures, and law enforcement models, and so on. To address the
differences in professional knowledge, legal practitioners in the GBA can collaborate to provide targeted training

in new types of legal services, particularly in financial technology, intellectual property such as artwork trading,
and maritime law, among others, in order to master common legal language, further break down communication

and cooperation barriers, and achieve greater resonance and synergy.

(d) Differences in standards and quality certification of legal services

There are some differences in the standards and quality certification of legal services between the Mainland

and Hong Kong, and it may be a challenge to ensure that consistent professional standards are followed in
cooperation. For example, in terms of market access, the Mainland legal services market may have certain

restrictions on the entry of foreign law firms, while Hong Kong law firms may need to fulfil a series of regulatory
and approval requirements to start business in the Mainland.

3.3 Supervision and self-regulation of the lawyers

3.3.1 Industry management gaps in the three jurisdictions need to be coordinated

The disparity in industry regulation among the three regions mainly stems from the differences in legal
systems and institutions, as well as the differences in industry access and regulatory standards. Specifically,

in the Mainland, the legal system is relatively centralised and unified, and the industry regulation is led by the
central and local governments. Industry access requires government approval and involves certain restrictions

and regulations, resulting in more stringent management. In contrast, the rule of law systems in Hong Kong and

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