Shanghai supports enterprises' global expansion with AI-backed cross-border legal services

Intelligent document generation within 30 seconds, global matching of the best legal service team and connection with qualified lawyers in under an hour — these capabilities form the core of the "Global 1-Hour Response Plan" for foreign-related legal services launched by Shanghai's Xuhui district.

The one-hour global lawyers' response system relies on dual support from technology and resources, introduced Yang Jiachen, deputy director of Justice Bureau of Xuhui district. In addition to self-developed artificial intelligence (AI) assistants, the district has brought together 10 leading international law firms as founding partners, signing cooperation agreements with domestic and overseas legal institutions. A dedicated liaison office has been set up in the district's West Bund Digital Valley, establishing a "6+2" time-zone coverage mechanism, which ensures relay cooperation across six core time zones of major global economic belts with continuous service availability across at least two time zones, guaranteeing 24/7 human-operated online support.

Aimed at supporting Chinese enterprises expanding abroad, the initiative integrates a wide array of legal resources such as global services of lawyers, notarization, arbitration, and mediation through a self-developed digital platform. Covering 50 specialized services across 11 major service scenarios, including intellectual property rights protection, trade remedies, and cross-border family affairs, the plan provides comprehensive support for Chinese enterprises going global in terms of overseas litigation and compliance checks, and for foreign enterprises entering the Chinese market in relation to foreign investment security reviews.

As the "Global 1-Hour Response Plan" continues to advance, the Justice Bureau of Xuhui is expanding its cooperation with overseas legal institutions and accelerating the cultivation of foreign-related legal professionals. It has established the Dual Training Center for Top-Tier Foreign-Related Legal Talent Practice and Cultivation and the Training Center for Elite Translators in Foreign Affairs and Law, and launched the AI Foreign-Related Legal Research and Training Center.

The justice bureau has also invited experts from overseas universities and law firms to deliver lectures as part of its AI foreign-related legal talent training program. The program has nurtured more than 100 legal professionals, who make up a legal service team supporting enterprises' overseas expansion.

According to Zuo Jingming, head of the Justice Bureau of Xuhui, as a pivotal hub for international legal services in Shanghai, Xuhui district has brought together a variety of top-tier foreign-related legal service institutions and high-quality AI companies, pioneering the building of an industrial ecosystem integrating AI with legal services.

Moving forward, the justice bureau will focus on addressing the practical needs of enterprises, uphold professional services and technological innovation, and implement the specific tasks that are needed for Shanghai to become a hub for international legal services, supporting enterprises in pursuing global expansion and participating in Belt and Road cooperation, Zuo said.