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Ⅴ. Development Prospects and Strategic Analysis of Hong Kong Legal Practitioners in the GBA

Ⅴ. Development Prospects and Strategic Analysis of

Hong Kong Legal Practitioners in the GBA

5.1 Outlook of the development prospects of Hong Kong legal practitioners in the GBA

On November 21, 2019, representatives from the Ministry of Commerce and the Government of the Hong

Kong SAR signed the “Agreement Concerning Amendment to the Agreement on Trade in Services of the
Mainland and Hong Kong CEPA ” (“CEPA Amendment Agreement”) in Hong Kong. This agreement further

opened up the service industry market and lowered the threshold for Hong Kong and Macao professionals
entering the Mainland market. In September 2023, the General Office of the State Council revised the “Pilot

Measures for Hong Kong and Macao Legal Practitioners to Obtain Mainland Practice Qualifications and
to Practise as Lawyers in the Nine Mainland Municipalities in the GBA” (“Pilot Measures”), extending the

pilot period and lowering the threshold for Hong Kong lawyers to practise in the Mainland. The revised Pilot
Measures lowered the practice experience requirement from five years to three years. Since the launch of the

pilot programme, three GBA Legal Professional Examinations have been successfully held, with over 1,500
Hong Kong and Macao lawyers enrolling in the examinations. Among them, 372 have obtained the Lawyer’s

License (GBA) and become GBA lawyers. Following this trend, Hong Kong lawyers practising in the GBA are
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expected to receive increasing policy support and encounter fewer obstacles.

In this survey, over 60% of the Hong Kong law firms expressed their intention to expand into the Mainland
market in the future. Currently, approximately 64% of the business sources for Hong Kong law firms come from

the Mainland. Overall, Hong Kong legal practitioners have broad prospects for development in the GBA.

5.1.1 “The Belt and Road Initiative” creates broader market prospect

In January 2018, the General Office of the State Council issued the “Opinion Concerning the Establishment

of the Belt And Road International Commercial Dispute Resolution Mechanism and Institutions” (“The
Opinion”). The Opinion emphasised the importance of nurturing and retaining international legal professionals

54 State Council Information Office, PRC press conference, November 23, 2023: Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area portal,
https://www.cnbayarea.org.cn/news/focus/content/post_1142365.html

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