The Joint Operation provides clients of both firms with an unprecedented platform to serve their international and PRC legal needs

FenXun Partners and Baker & McKenzie recently announced that they had become 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.

One of the partners of FenXun is Mr. Zhi Bao who has extensive experience concerning China's anti-monopoly law. Mr. Bao spent over seven years with the PRC Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) in Beijing. As a key member of the MOFCOM team Mr. Bao was responsible for drafting a series of regulations in respect of foreign investments, including the regulations for merger and acquisition of domestic Chinese enterprises by foreign investors. Mr. Bao holds LLM degrees from the University of California, Berkeley, and the East China University of Politics and Law.

The appointment follows on from the appointment of Stephen Crosswell, one of Hong Kong's leading competition lawyers last September.

David Fleming, head of Baker & McKenzie's M&A and Competition groups in Hong Kong and China says, "Not only does the Joint Operation again demonstrate Baker & McKenzie's leadership in seizing new market opportunities to enhance our offering to clients, having Mr. Bao on board adds a genuine PRC Competition specialization working alongside Stephen and our China team. We now have the ability to deal directly with MOFCOM and the PRC regulators — for example on merger control filings — which makes us unique among international law firms in China."

Samantha Mobley, head of Baker & McKenzie's Global Antitrust & Competition group, which comprises over 300 lawyers in 44 markets added, "Baker & McKenzie has a long history of being a first mover in China. We were the first law firm to open in China more than 20 years ago and we are the first and only firm to be approved for Joint Operation with our new colleagues at FenXun. I'm delighted that we are now able to offer another first to our international Competition clients in China — an integrated antitrust capability."