Zhong Lun Law Firm, one of China's largest law firms, has launched a new office in London with lawyers recruited from similarly-named breakaway firm Zhonglun W&D, reports The Asian Lawyer.

Three partners – Xue Haibin, Li Lin Na, and Emily Wang – are making the move to Zhong Lun along with four associates and two administrative staff.

The group constitutes the entire London office for Zhonglun W&D, which broke off from Zhong Lun in 2003 and in 2007 became the first Chinese law firm to open in the UK.

According to Robert Lewis (pictured), senior of counsel at Zhong Lun in Beijing, the 600-lawyer firm is hoping to use its London office to reach European companies doing business in China as well as expand its referral network.

"London has a concentration of many excellent law firms and we believe that establishing a relatively modest presence there will help us expand our relationship with potential clients and especially with local law firms in the region," said Lewis.

Though the three London partners are dual-qualified in the UK and China, Lewis says the firm will not practice UK law. "We have no intention of it being a full-service firm," he says. "The key is to facilitate good relationships there."

London is Zhong Lun's third overseas location after Tokyo and Hong Kong, where it opened offices in 2006 and 2010 respectively.

In 2010, Zhong Lun sealed an alliance with Japanese firm Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu. Last year, the firm's affiliated Hong Kong firm Roger Ho & Co merged with Boughton Peterson Yang Anderson.

The Asian Lawyer is a US affliate title of Legal Week.