Last May, Qiu Zou, an associate at China’s Jun He Law Office, decided to leave the top Beijing firm she had worked at for three years and venture out on her own. Six months later, Zou launched a new firm—Wangheng Partners—with two like-minded lawyers, former Fangda Partners associate Karen Zhong and former Duan & Duan partner Victor Zhang.
Young Chinese lawyers compete intensely for associate positions at prestigious firms such as Jun He and Fangda in the hope that one day they will make partner. Both firms, along with King & Wood Mallesons and Zhong Lun Law Firm, with their Western-style management and track records of high-profile deals, have been bellwethers of domestic firms.
