Zhong Lun (Chinese: 中伦律师事务所; pinyin: Zhōnglún Lǜshī Shìwùsuǒ) is a Chinese multinational law firm headquartered in Beijing, China. It was founded in 1993 as one of the first private law firms in China.[4]
 | |
| Headquarters | Beijing, China |
|---|---|
| No. of offices | 18[1] |
| No. of lawyers | Over 1,600 [2] |
| Major practice areas | General practice |
| Key people | Anthony Zhao (Managing Partner) |
| Revenue | US$654 million (2022) [3] |
| Date founded | 1993 (Beijing) |
| Website | zhonglun.com |
Zhong Lun is one of China's most prominent law firms and is a member of the "Red Circle" of elite Chinese practices that increasingly compete with London’s Magic Circle and New York’s white-shoe partnerships.[5]
Zhong Lun currently has domestic offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Wuhan, Chongqing, Qingdao, Hangzhou, Nanjing and Haikou, and international offices in London, Tokyo, Hong Kong, New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Almaty.[1]
Name
editIn Chinese Zhong Lun (中伦) means compliance with ethical principles.[6] The term first appeared in the Analects of Confucius.[6]
History
editZhong Lun was founded in Beijing in 1993 as a private partnership.[4] In 1996, it merged with the Beijing-based law firm Jintong and changed its name to Zhonglun Jintong.[7] In 2003, a group of Zhonglun Jintong partners left to set up a new firm named Zhonglun W&D.[7] Zhonglun Jintong rebranded itself as Zhong Lun in 2008.[7]
Zhong Lun's office in Wuhan was opened in January 2010.[8] Zhong Lun's office in Hong Kong was opened in February 2010, in an association with the Hong Kong–based law firm Roger Ho & Co.[9] In 2011 Zhong Lun's Hong Kong office merged with the Hong Kong–based law firm Boughton Peterson Yang Anderson.[7] Zhong Lun's opened an office in London in February 2012 following the recruitment of the entire London staff of Zhonglun W&D.[7]
In April 2013, Zhong Lun opened a New York Office in Midtown Manhattan,[10] with Ta-kuang (T.K.) Chang and Philip Xuan Zhang as founding partners.[4]
Rankings and recognition
editZhong Lun has been regularly recognized by Chambers & Partners as a leading law firm in China, awarding it Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year (2017, 2019, 2023);[11][12] Corporate & Finance Law Firm of the Year (2015, 2022);[13][14] and China Law Firm of the Year (2013, 2014, 2016).[15][16]
In 2024, Chambers & Partners Asia Pacific ranked Zhong Lun as top tier in 27 areas of practice while Chambers & Partners Global ranked Zhong Lun as top tier in 13 areas of practice, including capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, dispute resolution, energy and natural resources, and projects and infrastructure.[17]
In July 2024, Zhong Lun Law Firm was recognized in Law.asia's China Business Law Awards 2024. The firm achieved distinction in multiple categories, including the Golden League, Capital Markets (Domestic), Competition and Antitrust, Corporate and Compliance, Dispute Resolution (Domestic), IP (Patent), Mergers and Acquisitions (Inbound, Domestic, and Outbound), Private Equity and Venture Capital, Restructuring and Insolvency, and Taxation.[18]
Main practice areas
editZhong Lun's main practice areas include:[19]
- Real Estate;
- Capital Markets/Securities;
- Private Equity & Investment Funds
- Corporate/Foreign Direct Investment
- Mergers & Acquisitions
- Banking and Finance
- Dispute Resolution
- Intellectual Property
- Construction & Infrastructure
- Antitrust/Competition
- WTO/International Trade
- Overseas Investments
- Labor and Employment
- Taxation & Wealth Management
- Securitization & Financial Products
- Bankruptcy & Reorganization
- Hospitality
- Technology, Media and Telecoms and Entertainment
- Regulatory/Anti-bribery
- Environmental, Energy and Natural Resources
- Shipping
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Offices". Zhong Lun Law Firm. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
- ^ "Zhong Lun Law Firm". Law.com International.
- ^ "Zhong Lun Law Firm". Law.com International.
- ^ a b c "China's Top Private Law Firm Zhong Lun Establishes New York Office to Celebrate 20th Anniversary". Yahoo Finance. 23 April 2013. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
- ^ "Can Chinese law firms take over the world?". The Economist. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
- ^ a b "Overview". Zhong Lun Law Firm. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
- ^ a b c d e "China's Zhong Lun swoops on rival for City launch". The Lawyer. 13 February 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
- ^ "Zhong Lun partnership undergoes exponential growth". Australasian Legal Business. 19 March 2010. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
- ^ "Zhong Lun opens Hong Kong office". Australasian Legal Business. 20 January 2010. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
- ^ "New York Office Announcement". Zhong Lun Law Firm. 26 April 2013. Retrieved 6 May 2013.
- ^ "Awards of Zhong Lun". Zhong Lun. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
- ^ "Chambers Asia Pacific and Greater China Region Awards 2023". Chambers And Partners Partners. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
- ^ "Chambers Asia Pacific & Greater China Region Awards 2022". Chambers and Partners. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
- ^ "Awards of Zhong Lun". Zhong Lun. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
- ^ "Chambers Asia Pacific Awards for Excellence 2014". Chambers & Partners. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
- ^ "Awards of Zhong Lun". Zhong Lun. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
- ^ "Awards of Zhong Lun". Zhong Lun. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
- ^ "China Business Law Awards 2024". Law.asia. 24 July 2024.
- ^ "Practice Areas". Zhong Lun. Retrieved 8 March 2014.