Page 50 - 月刊 2024第3期 7月

IV. Demand for Legal Services in the GBA

Mainland’s litigation and arbitration procedures, and the handling of related matters in the Mainland. Secondly,

nowadays many Hong Kong and Macao enterprises and natural persons have close interactions and frequent
business cooperation with the Mainland. The addition of Hong Kong lawyers/ GBA lawyers as People’s

Assessors and arbitrators can better protect the rights and interests of the parties involved. Thirdly, having
more Hong Kong/ GBA lawyers as arbitrators will enable more overseas commercial entities to choose dispute

resolution methods with which they are more familiar with. Fourthly, allowing more Hong Kong lawyers/ GBA
lawyers to participate in arbitration cases will help enhance the credibility of the arbitration process.

In addition, relevant departments also suggested that Hong Kong lawyers/ GBA lawyers be invited as special
mediators and foreign law ascertainment experts. It shows that the relevant Mainland authorities are pleased to

see GBA lawyers giving full play to their own strengths and specialties to further participate in Mainland cases.

4.1.2 Cooperation status between Mainland law firms and Hong Kong legal practitioners

(a) Limited contact and cooperation between Mainland law firms and Hong Kong
practitioners

This survey data show that among the 60 Mainland law firms interviewed, 13 are located in first-tier cities
Guangzhou and Shenzhen in the GBA, 22 in second-tier cities Zhuhai, Foshan, and Dongguan, 19 in third-

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tier cities Huizhou, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, and Zhaoqing, and 6 in other Mainland cities within the GBA . The
survey data shows that, among the 60 Mainland law firms interviewed, 27 have had contact with Hong Kong

legal practitioners, accounting for 45% in proportion; among them, 25 have had collaborations with Hong Kong
legal practitioners, accounting for a proportion of 41.7%. This shows that the business of Hong Kong law firms

in the Mainland is still limited to a certain degree. However, with the further integration of the GBA’s economic
development, together with the unique advantages of Hong Kong practitioners, there is demand for cooperation

between the Mainland law firms and Hong Kong practitioners and lawyers from both regions are actively seeking
opportunities for exchange.

47 The nine GBA cities in the report include: Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Huizhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen and
Zhaoqing. As six of the interviewed Mainland law firms did not indicate where they are located, this report refers to them as being
located in “other GBA cities”.

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