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Ⅴ. Development Prospects and Strategic Analysis of Hong Kong Legal Practitioners in the GBA
allow law firms to operate in the form of corporations, enabling them to attract external investors, engage in
cross-industry collaborations, expand service offerings, and adapt to market changes through more flexible
management and operational structures. Incorporating these new operating modes first requires adjustments to
existing legal frameworks to provide legal support. This may include amending lawyer practise regulations to
allow law firms to operate as limited liability companies and permitting non-lawyers to own law firm shares or
hold senior corporate positions. Furthermore, encouraging and facilitating collaborations between law firms and
other industries (such as finance, technology, and consultancy) to jointly develop new service products can not
only broaden the scope of services offered by law firms but also bring in expertise and technology from outside
the legal sector, enhancing the competitiveness of law firms. In addition, establishing a systematic and diversified
professional development and training mechanism is essential to meet the demands of lawyers and other
professionals (such as IT, marketing, and financial management) under the group operation mode.
In the short term, establishing more convenient arrangements for fee payments in case collaborations
between law firms in both regions can also be considered. For instance, establishing a unified payment platform
or utilising blockchain technology to ensure transparency and security in transactions.
5.2.6 Actively promoting alignment between practise models and industry supervision
Hong Kong and the Mainland belong to two different legal systems, resulting in differences in the operation,
management, and industry supervision of law firms. These differences may pose challenges and obstacles when
law firms from the two regions collaborate. For instance, variations in legal systems may lead to differences
in approaches and philosophies when dealing with specific legal issues, and cultural disparities may present
challenges in team collaboration and business communication. Overcoming these obstacles requires law firms to
conduct thorough strategic planning and business research before collaboration, ensuring adequate understanding
and adaptation to the legal environment and business culture of both regions to achieve effective partnership.
Close monitoring of the changes in the laws and regulations of the two regions, establishing good communication
channels and team collaboration system are also critical factors to overcome the obstacles.
The lawyers’ associations interviewed in this survey all emphasised the importance of establishing
communication platforms through a series of collaborative activities in the normalisation of lawyer cooperation
organisations and coordinating the self-discipline management of the legal profession in the GBA. In the process,
mutual understanding and communication can be strengthened. If a corresponding platform construction and
talent exchange mechanism can be implemented, it presents excellent opportunities for mutual learning and
business expansion for lawyers from both regions.
Overall, Hong Kong lawyers can deepen their understanding of the Mainland legal environment and
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