Normative  Document No. 1/2025 of the Legal Affairs Bureau

Notice on Amending the Measures for Supporting the Legal Services Industry in the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin

All relevant departments,

To implement the requirements from such regulations and provisions as the Regulation on Fair Competition Review and the Guidelines for Building a Unified National Market (For Trial Implementation), and to further promote the high-quality development of the legal services industry in the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin (hereinafter referred to as the “Cooperation Zone”), with the approval of the Cooperation Zone’s Executive Committee, the Legal Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone hereby amends the Measures for Supporting the Legal Services Industry in the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin (Regulatory Document No. 1/2023 of the Legal Affairs Bureau), as follows:

1. Item 1 of Article 2 (Definitions) shall be amended to read as follows:

(1) Law firms (including branch offices), joint ventures formed by law firms from the Macao Special Administrative Region (hereinafter referred to as “Macao SAR”), the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (hereinafter referred to as “Hong Kong SAR”), and the Chinese Mainland in two- or three-party partnerships. It also includes representative offices of Macao SAR, Hong Kong SAR, and foreign law firms;

(2) Institutions or organizations providing public legal services in the Cooperation Zone, such as notary offices, judicial appraisal agencies, legal ascertainment services, commercial arbitration institutions (hereinafter referred to as “arbitration institutions”), and commercial mediation institutions (hereinafter referred to as “mediation institutions”);

(3) Branch offices of international legal services institutions, and other legal organizations or institutions that contribute to the internationalization of the Cooperation Zone’s legal services sector.

2.. Items 4 and 6 of Article 2 (Definitions) shall be deleted.

3. Article 7 (Establishment Reward for Public Legal Service Institutions) and Article 8 (Establishment Rewards for Reputable and Outstanding Law Firms) shall be deleted.

4. Item 3 of Article 10 (Eligibility for Office Rent Subsidies for Legal Services Institutions) shall be amended to read as follows:

(3) Operate as a joint venture law firm established by a Hong Kong SAR or Macao SAR law firm and a Mainland law firm, or as a representative office of a foreign law firm or a Hong Kong SAR or Macao SAR law firm.

5. The third paragraph of Article 12 (Application for Office Rent Subsidies for Legal Services Institutions) shall be amended to read as follows:

During the rent subsidy period, recipients must not lease, sublease, or partition the subsidized office space, nor change its designated use. Any violation of this provision requires the recipient to immediately refund the entire subsidy received for the preceding application year. Failure to voluntarily refund the subsidy shall result in its recovery by the authorities. Furthermore, any such violation shall disqualify the applicant from receiving further office rent subsidies under these Measures.

6. The third paragraph of Article 23 (Supervision and Administration) shall be deleted.

This Notice shall come into effect on January 1, 2025.

Legal Affairs Bureau of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin

April 24, 2025

This English translation is for reference only. The Chinese version shall prevail in case of any inconsistencies.