Shanghai speeds up building of global legal services hub

Shanghai has accelerated the development of building itself into an international legal services hub through introducing a series of regulations and policy documents since 2023, according to Zhou Cheng, deputy director of the Shanghai Municipal Justice Bureau. Key measures include fostering comprehensive and specialized law firms, strengthening the development of arbitration institutions, advancing pilot reforms in notarization, nurturing commercial mediation bodies, promoting technology-empowered legal services, and cultivating a group of world-class legal service providers.

In the city's Xuhui district, the West Bund Digital Valley Legal Services Cluster now hosts more than 120 service points run by 60 domestic and international legal institutions, which ensure the implementation of the district's "Global 1-Hour Response Plan" in delivering foreign-related legal services.

To enhance the allocation of legal service resources, Huangpu district has formed a legal services consortium integrating the Shanghai International Arbitration Center, domestic and foreign law firms, and notarial institutions, to provide comprehensive legal services for enterprises' overseas expansion based on their complementary strengths. The district is developing the Xintiandi International Legal Service Center as a coordinated platform and will soon roll out the "Huangpu Law Partner Program" to create opportunities for legal professionals with different backgrounds and at various career stages to establish their career in Huangpu.

In Hongkou district, the North Bund International Legal Services Hub has built a collaborative legal ecosystem where buildings form legal communities, floors connect industrial chains, and networks foster business synergy. Located in White Magnolia Plaza, the hub offers not only doorstep international legal services within the plaza but also serves as a "command center" providing one-stop international legal services for businesses across Shanghai and nationwide.

Songjiang district has expanded its reach of legal services across the Yangtze River Delta region through the G60 Shanghai-Kunming Expressway. This June, the district established a service alliance within the Yangtze River Delta G60 Sci-tech Innovation Corridor to support Chinese enterprises going global. This one-stop platform brings together over 180 professional institutions from nine cities including Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Hefei, to offer businesses a full spectrum of support, covering investment, legal compliance and financial services.

The public legal service center for the Yangtze River Delta G60 Sci-tech Innovation Corridor regularly organized a wide array of activities supporting enterprises' global expansion, such as legal risk assessments, legal service forums and training sessions on tax risks. So far, 1,500 enterprises have received on-site legal services provided by the center, addressing enterprises' needs for deeper integration into global supply chains.

The exhibition hall of the Yangtze River Delta G60 Sci-Tech Innovation Corridor Public Legal Service Center

The Hongqiao International Central Legal District has attracted a concentration of law firms.