FenXun Partners and Baker & McKenzie today became the first international and PRC law firms to enter into a Joint Operation in the China (Shanghai) Free Trade Zone. Their Joint Operation is a historic step — the first law firms to be approved by the PRC authorities to provide their clients with international and PRC law capacity through the Shanghai Free Trade Zone initiative.

Baker & McKenzie was the first international law firm licensed to practice law in China when it opened in Beijing in 1993 and is the leading international law firm in China. It opened its Shanghai office in 2003. FenXun Partners was founded in Beijing in 2009. The application to form the Joint Operation is the first approved by the Shanghai Bureau of Justice. The announcement was made at a ceremony at the Baker & McKenzie FenXun (FTZ) Joint Operation offices in the Shanghai Free Trade Zone.

The Joint Operation provides both firms with a unique platform through which they can offer both international and PRC law advice to their clients.

FenXun Partners advises multinational corporations, Chinese companies, financial institutions and PRC government authorities on corporate investment and financing activities, asset securitization, funds, mergers and acquisitions, company restructuring and listing, foreign investment in China, anti-monopoly, banking and finance and derivatives matters. The Firm has an office in Beijing and a branch office in the Shanghai Free Trade Zone.

Danian Zhang, Baker & McKenzie's Chief Representative in Shanghai, said, "We are extremely pleased to be the very first firm to be granted approval for Joint Operation by the Shanghai Bureau of Justice, and are looking forward to this close collaboration with FenXun Partners. We are particularly delighted to make this announcement not long after celebrating the 20th year of our presence in China in Beijing, and the 10th anniversary of opening our Shanghai office. Our firm has a long-term commitment to China and to excellence in serving our clients' international legal needs. We welcome and look forward to the new opportunities that this Joint Operation affords."

Yingzhe Wang, Managing Partner and Co-Founding Partner of FenXun Partners, said, "We are delighted to enter into this Joint Operation with the premier global law firm, Baker & McKenzie. FenXun Partners' mission has always been to deliver results that help our clients achieve their strategic and commercial objectives. In this respect, we share with Baker & McKenzie common values and a common approach to our client relationships. The Joint Operation with Baker & McKenzie will better enable us to serve our PRC clients' international legal needs."

Eduardo Leite, Chairman of Baker & McKenzie's Executive Committee, commented, "The announcement today is a very exciting one for our Firm. Baker & McKenzie has been committed to China for more than 40 years and being the first and only firm to be approved for Joint Operation in the China (Shanghai) Free Trade Zone again demonstrates our leadership in seizing new market opportunities to enhance our offering to our clients. We welcome working closely and productively with the partners and lawyers at FenXun Partners." 

The Joint Operation will permit collaborative responses to client needs, joint execution of client matters, secondments of lawyers between the firms, exchanges of know-how and also for each firm to excel in its respective areas of legal services. FenXun Partners and Baker & McKenzie will remain structurally separate and independent.