Elite Chinese firms Jun He and Zhong Lun have begun discussions over a potential merger that could transform the local market.

The talks are understood to be being led by a group of senior figures at the firms including Jun He managing partner David Liu and Zhong Lun's Shanghai managing partner Anthony Qiao.

As reported in the Asian Lawyer, the combination between the two Beijing-based firms would create a law firm with more than 1,000 lawyers, operating in eight cities in China as well as Hong Kong, London, New York, Tokyo and Silicon Valley.

Jun He has 500 lawyers and nine offices in total, located in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Dalian, Haikou and Hong Kong, with two representative offices in New York and Silicon Valley.

Zhong Lun recently acquired 140-lawyer Beijing firm Kaiwen. According to The Asian Lawyer, Kaiwen is splitting off from an earlier merger partner, Grandway Law Offices in Beijing, in order to combine with Zhong Lun.

Lawyers from Kaiwen will join Zhong Lun's offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Chengdu. The combination will also hand Zhong Lun a Chongqing office.

The news comes amid a wave of consolidation in the Chinese legal market. Notably rival King & Wood created an Asia-Pacific legal giant by tying up with Australia's Mallesons in 2012 and SJ Berwin last November. The tie-up created a firm with revenue of over $1bn.