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Executive Summary

Mainland law firms. Part Ⅳ explores the demand for GBA lawyers in the GBA, and provides feedback from

Mainland legal practitioners and clients on their evaluation of Hong Kong legal practitioners. In the last part, the
report looks forward to the development prospects of Hong Kong legal practitioners in the GBA and proposes

strategies for expanding business into the region.

The macro-environment of the GBA and the status of the legal profession

• The competitiveness of the GBA is increasing and the economy of the GBA has become an important growth

engine for the development of the global economy. The city’s strength and regional economic influence are
gradually increasing.

• The Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone and the Guangdong-Macao
In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin promote the connection of deep-level rules in the GBA, and the “Bay

Area Connection” project promotes the regulatory interface and connectivity for the economic operation of
the three regions.

• The legal services industry in first-tier cities in the GBA is relatively more mature, with increasing scale
and enhanced specialisation. The integrated construction of the legal service market in the GBA is being

promoted, but law firms in the GBA still face the problem of low internationalisation level.

Status quo and basis of cooperation of Hong Kong legal practitioners in the GBA

• The legal services market in Hong Kong is relatively more mature, with many law firms and a wide range of

business types, but the legal service business in the Mainland needs to be developed further.
• Currently, Hong Kong law firms concentrate on some specific business types in the GBA, with obvious

competitive advantages. However, limited channels for business promotion and differences in the
environments between the two regions hinder business development. At the same time, there are still many

Hong Kong legal practitioners who have limited understanding of the collaboration of legal services in the
GBA.

• Hong Kong legal practitioners have a solid foundation in collaborating with others in the GBA, and law firms
in the GBA and Hong Kong should fully utilise their competitive advantages, strengthen communication, and

seek diversified forms of cooperation.

Problems in cooperation

• Hong Kong law firms face many difficulties when establishing offices and partnerships in the GBA, such as

insufficient supporting facilities, admission conditions for partnerships, their eligible scope of business, law

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