Guangdong Justice Department announced on September 2 that Guangdong Xin Yang Law Firm had set up a branch in Hong Kong on September 1.

Xin Yang is the first Guangdong law firm registered to practice in Hong Kong and the fourth of its kind on the mainland. Xin Yang's principal services include banking & finance, Chinese investment, international trade, intellectual property, labor law, bankruptcy and real estate. Setting up law firms and providing legal services have been written into the CEPA agreement.

Many Guangdong law firms have applied for expansion into Hong Kong. Xin Yang was the only one so far to be recommended by the All China Lawyer Association and approved by the Lawyer Society of Hong Kong.

To be eligible, a mainland law office must have been established for at least four years and not been punished for any malpractice within two years of its application. The firm should also have no less than 20 full-time lawyers.

Editor: Yan