Lovells bags new firm for Sino-Global Alliance

The Lovells-backed Sino-Global Legal Alliance (SGLA) has been strengthened with the addition of another Chinese firm, with Chengdu’s Tahota Law Firm due to come on board in July.

The aim of the alliance, which launched last year via a tie up with nine local Chinese firms (The Lawyer, 3 September 2007) is to sign up one of the top firms in each major economic region in China in order to capture inbound, outbound and pan-Chinese work.

Tahota, which is based in the city at the centre of China’s recent earthquake disaster, was launched in 2000 and currently houses 19 partners across offices in Chengdu, Beijing and Hong Kong.

Lovells Beijing managing partner Robert Lewis said: “We already knew the firm from the due diligence we did before launching the alliance last year. We agreed at that time to set it to one side then its partnership petitioned to join at the start of the year.

“It was not a difficult decision and we were also very happy that it was not just Lovells’ decision, with all the alliance firms in agreement.”

While there is currently no timetable in place for expanding the alliance further, Lewis said more firms will be added in due course.

“We have given some consideration at the management committee level of the alliance to the possibility of having a different level of participation,” said Lewis, adding that firms could potentially join the alliance without being part of its steering committee.

He added: “There’s no harm in having more coverage but we don’t have to rush. There’s no promotional value in adding other cities that people haven’t heard of. There needs to be a rational business decision to do it.”

The other firms signed up to the alliance are Allbright in Shanghai, China Commercial in Shenzen, Deheng in Qingdao, Dewell in Wuhan, Guangda in Guangzhou, Join & High in Tianjin, Solton & Partners in Chongqing, T&C in Hangzhou and Wang Wu Yang & Ma in Shenyang.