| Dorsey & Whitney LLP recently announced that they will be forming a Special Counsel relationship with Martin Hu & Partners in Shanghai. For Dorsey, the new platform represents a significant milestone given that it is the first international firm in China to position and align itself in a client orientated way.
According to the firms, the collaborative effort is seen as a cure-all by most of their clients given that the new platform now provides clients with a one-stop shop for their legal needs. Peter Corne, co-chair of Dorsey’s Asia-Pacific practice believes that it will “vastly expand their credibility” within the region, in the eyes of potential clients given the new “ability to engage” with local consumers in a meaningful way. He also adds that the co-ordination “acknowledges the reality of where the market is going.” This is notably apparent given recent trends around the Asian region, with large, international firms in Singapore merging with local firms to enable (qualified) rights of audience in Court. Notably, Watson Farley & Williams merged with a local Singaporean firm earlier this week. The collaborative effort is a strategic move on the part of both firms given that it enables them to expand their reach, leverage larger client networks, optimize resources and take advantage of language skills. The special relationship will afford clients the full gamut of services including, intellectual property, arbitration and regulatory advice. Labour advice, Corne remarks, is particularly important given that the advice given can differ depending on the locality in China. The relationship will be symbiotic in many ways, with Martin Hu and Partners making itself available to Dorsey as Special Counsel and Dorsey in turn acting as Special Foreign Counsel to Martin Hu & Partners. Dorsey is banking on Hu’s firm to advise its clients on PRC issues whilst Hu’s firm will take full benefit of Dorsey’s ability to practice in several jurisdictions around the world. |
