China News Service, Hong Kong, August 11, on the approval of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on the Authorization of the State Council to develop Hong Kong legal practitioners and Macao practicing lawyers in the nine cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to obtain Mainland practice qualifications and engage in pilot practice of lawyers "Decision", the Department of Justice of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government welcomed it on the 11th and believed it would help the Hong Kong legal profession to expand professional services in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
The 21st meeting of the 13th National People’s Congress Standing Committee voted on the 11th to approve the “The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on authorizing the State Council to develop Hong Kong legal practitioners and Macao practicing lawyers in the nine cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to obtain Mainland practicing qualifications and The Decision to Engage in the Pilot Work of the Lawyer Profession", authorizing the State Council to conduct Hong Kong legal practitioners and Macau practicing lawyers in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Huizhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, Zhaoqing, Guangdong Province Pilot work for practicing qualifications and engaging in the lawyer profession in the Mainland.
According to the Information Service of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, Secretary of Justice Zheng Ruohua expressed his gratitude to the central government for launching this arrangement, allowing qualified Hong Kong legal practitioners to pass special examinations and obtain qualifications for practicing in nine cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. A certain range of Mainland legal affairs will further promote Hong Kong to become an international legal and dispute resolution service center in the Greater Bay Area. She also believes that the implementation of the measures will provide the Hong Kong industry with great convenience and more opportunities in the Greater Bay Area.
According to the agreement (agreement) signed by the Mainland and Hong Kong in November last year on the amendment of the "Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement Agreement on Trade in Services", Hong Kong legal practitioners passed the special examination and obtained the practice in the nine cities in the Greater Bay Area. After being qualified, they can engage in civil and commercial legal services in a specific scope for a trial period of three years.
Under the opening measures of the Greater Bay Area, the Guangdong Provincial Department of Justice announced in July last year the "Guangdong Provincial Department of Justice's Statement on the Implementation of Partnerships between Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Macao Special Administrative Region Law Firms and Mainland Law Firms in Guangdong Province The Trial Measures (Revised in 2019) (Trial Measures) are the first to implement the further liberalization measures for partnership and joint law firms established in Guangdong Province, including the cancellation of Hong Kong law firms’ capital contributions from partnership and joint law firms between Hong Kong law firms and mainland law firms The ratio must not be lower than the 30% limit, and you can directly hire mainland and Hong Kong lawyers in the name of the firm.
According to the Department of Justice, there are currently 12 partnership-associated law firms in Guangdong Province. It is believed that more mainland and Hong Kong law firms, especially small and medium-sized law firms, will consider setting up partnerships in the future to provide a one-stop shop in the Mainland Cross-jurisdictional legal services. And allowing Hong Kong legal practitioners to engage in legal affairs within a certain scope after obtaining the qualifications for practicing in nine cities in the Greater Bay Area is just in line with the trial measures to provide more professionals for partnerships.
Zheng Ruohua pointed out that the "first try, first test" liberalization measures will help promote the establishment of a diversified dispute resolution mechanism that includes consultation, joint construction, and sharing mentioned in the "Outline of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Development Plan". She also thanked the legal organizations and members of the legal profession who have worked hard to promote ad hoc assessment measures, including the Hong Kong Chinese Lawyers Association and the Hong Kong Law Society, for reflecting the opinions and suggestions of the industry. (Finish)