Notice on Issuing the Several Measures for Supporting the Development of Foreign-Related Legal Services in Guangzhou Nansha New Area (Nansha Area of Guangdong Pilot Free Trade Zone) (2024 Revised Edition)

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

Normative Document No.5 [2024] of the Office of the Administrative Committee of Guangzhou Nansha Economic and Technological Development Zone

Notice on Issuing Several Measures for Supporting the Development of Foreign-Related Legal Services in Guangzhou Nansha New Area (Nansha Area of Guangdong Pilot Free Trade Zone) (2024 Revised Edition)

To all towns (sub-districts), departments of and agencies directly under Nansha Economic and Technological Development Zone (Nansha District):

Several Measures for Supporting the Development of Foreign-Related Legal Services in Guangzhou Nansha New Area (Nansha Area of Guangdong Pilot Free Trade Zone) (2024 Revised Edition) has been approved by the Administrative Committee of Nansha Economic and Technological Development Zone of Guangzhou Municipality and Nansha District Government, and is hereby issued to you for your compliance and implementation. Problems encountered in the implementation shall be directly reported to Nansha District Bureau of Justice of Guangzhou Municipality.

Office of the Administrative Committee of Guangzhou Nansha Economic and Technological Development Zone

Office of the People's Government of Nansha District, Guangzhou

December 21, 2024

Several Measures for Supporting the Development of Foreign-Related Legal Services in Guangzhou Nansha New Area (Nansha Area of Guangdong Pilot Free Trade Zone) (2024 Revised Edition)

These Measures are formulated in light of the local conditions of Nansha, to implement the Overall Plan for Promoting Comprehensive Cooperation among Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao by Further Deepening Opening-up in Nansha District of Guangzhou issued by the State Council (Normative Document No.13 [2022] of the State Council) , promote the leapfrog development of foreign-related legal services in Nansha, accelerate the introduction of renowned foreign-related legal service institutions and talents, and drive Nansha into a major strategic platform that is based in the Greater Bay Area, in coordination with Hong Kong and Macao, and embracing a global outlook.

Article 1 Settlement Subsidy

(1) Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao partnership law firms (including Guangdong-Hong Kong, Guangdong-Macao, and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao partnership law firms) jointly established between Hong Kong SAR/Macao SAR law firms and mainland law firms that actually engage in business activities in Nansha, where all three partners are well-known legal service agencies, can apply for a settlement subsidy of RMB five million; where any two partners are well-known legal service agencies, can apply for a settlement subsidy of RMB three million; where one partner is a well-known legal service agency, can apply for a settlement support of RMB two million; for cases other than the above, can apply for a settlement subsidy of RMB one million.

(2) Law firms of the Hong Kong SAR or the Macao SAR and foreign law firms that meet the standard of well-known legal service agencies, set up their representative offices in the Chinese mainland and actually engage in business activities in Nansha can apply for a settlement subsidy of RMB two million. Those fail to meet the standard of well-known legal service agencies can apply for a settlement subsidy of RMB one million.

(3) Professional legal service agencies established in Nansha by legal service agencies that meet the standard of well-known legal service agencies and mainly engaged in business activities in Nansha and in foreign-related legal services for maritime affairs, maritime business, intellectual property, cross-border investment, etc., shall be granted a settlement subsidy of RMB 500,000.

The settlement subsidy shall be paid in three installments (30%, 30% and 40%) in three years starting from the year of the agencies' settlement.

Article 2 Progress Reward

Legal service agencies that actually engaged in business activities in Nansha, whose establisher, partners and itself first meet the standard of a well-known legal service agency, or play a pioneering, rare or leading role in legal services in Guangzhou, can apply for a progress reward of RMB 1 million.

Article 3 Office Space Subsidy

Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao partnership law firms or other legal service agencies mainly engaged in foreign-related legal services that rent office space in Nansha for their own use, can apply for the office space subsidy on a "pay-first, subsidize-later" basis, maximum RMB 50 per square meter per month and RMB two million per year. The subsidy period shall not exceed 3 years.

When applying for the office space subsidy, the legal service agencies mainly engaged in foreign-related legal services shall provide valid proof to prove that their business volume of and business income from foreign-related legal services account for more than 50% of their total business volume and total income in the previous year.

Article 4 Outstanding Achievement Reward

Legal service agencies that actually engaged in business activities in Nansha with legal service projects and cases concerning foreign countries, Hong Kong and Macao, or research achievements concerning the rule of law in foreign countries commended or promoted by competent authorities or organizations, law societies and industry associations above the provincial level can apply for a reward of RMB 100,000 for each project, case, and research achievement. The reward granted to each legal service agency shall not exceed 500,000 yuan each year.

Article 5 Talent Attraction Subsidy

Law firms actually engaged in business activities in Nansha that hire one person under any of the following circumstances with actual business done by that person can apply for a one-time subsidy of 50,000 yuan:

(1) Legal practitioners in Hong Kong or practicing lawyers in Macao who have obtained a lawyer's certificate (of the GBA);

(2) Lawyers appointed or hired by Hong Kong or Macao partners of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao partnership law firms;

(3) Foreign lawyers acting as legal consultants;

(4) Other foreign professionals with qualifications;

(5) Lawyers whose household is registered in Hong Kong or Macao.

Each law firm can apply for a talent attraction subsidy of no more than RMB one million in total per year. If the same person practices or works at different law firms in Nansha and the former law firm has applied for this subsidy, the latter law firm shall no longer benefit from it again.

"With actual business done by that person" means that the above person has independently or jointly handled more than 5 litigation or arbitration cases or more than 10 non-litigation legal affairs for the same law firm in this year.

Article 6 Talent Development Subsidy

Legal practitioners in Hong Kong or practicing lawyers in Macao who have obtained a lawyer's certificate (of the GBA), professionals with professional qualifications for Hong Kong, Macao or foreign lawyers, and lawyers whose household is registered in Hong Kong and Macao, who have worked at legal service agencies in Nansha continuously for 12 months or above can apply for a subsidy of RMB 100,000, RMB 80,000, and RMB 60,000 respectively.

Lawyers practicing in Nansha who are included in the National Talent Pool for Lawyers Specializing in Foreign-related Affairs, or other national-level talent pools for foreign-related legal services, or the Special Support Program for Training High-level Talents of Guangdong Province, can apply for a subsidy of RMB 100,000. Those who have been included in the Talent Pool for Lawyers Specializing in Foreign-related Affairs of provincial-level judicial administration departments or other provincial-level talent pools for foreign-related legal services, can apply for a subsidy of RMB 50,000. Those who have been included in the Talent Pool for Lawyers Specializing in Foreign-related Affairs of municipal-level judicial administration departments or other municipal-level talent pools for foreign-related legal services, can apply for a subsidy of RMB 30,000.

The talent development subsidies will be paid in two installments (60% and 40%) in two years.

Article 7 Special Contribution Reward

Enterprises, institutions, organizations, and individuals that have made outstanding contributions to foreign-related legal services in Nansha can be rewarded based on specific circumstances.

Supplementary Provisions

(1) All the currency mentioned in these Measures is RMB. The words describing numerical values including "no more than", "more than", and "maximum" in these Measures include the base values. The proportion and limit of some rewards and subsidies specified in these Measures are the upper limit amount. Specific policy support shall be adjusted according to the fiscal budget for the current year.

(2) "Well-known Legal Service Agencies" as mentioned in these Measures refer to law firms, judicial authentication institutions, notary offices, etc., or organizations and enterprise with a certain number of staff and a certain scale that have been rewarded the title of Demonstration Site (Institution) by competent departments (organizations) above provincial level, or comprehensive honors by competent departments (organizations), law societies, or industry associations above provincial level, or have been recognized as leading agencies in the industry based on assessments by authoritative domestic and international rating agencies approved by competent departments (organizations), law societies, or industry associations above provincial level, unless otherwise stipulated in these Measures. Well-known international legal service agencies should have outstanding professional capabilities and strong industry influence, and have obtained professional ratings or comprehensive honors recognized in its region.

(3) If a project or item meets the criteria for the subsidy or reward specified in these Measures and other supportive policies of Nansha at the same time, including the policy requiring Nansha District to grant auxiliary subsidy or reward, the highest subsidy or reward shall prevail and the lower one shall be canceled, unless otherwise stipulated. Legal service agencies can enjoy the same type of policy support from a higher authority and Nansha at the same time, but the part that the policy of such higher-level authority requires Nansha to bear shall be deducted when the agencies apply for support to Nansha. Agencies that enjoy preferential policy support according to the "one enterprise, one policy" principle shall not enjoy similar policy support specified in these Measures, unless otherwise stipulated. For legal service agencies that have moved out from another district of Guangzhou to Nansha, relevant regulations of Guangzhou shall prevail.

(4) These Measures will enter into force from the date of issuance and remain valid until February 9, 2028. The Eight Measures to Promote the Development of Foreign-Related Legal Service Industry in Guangzhou Nansha New Area (Nansha Area of Guangdong Pilot Free Trade Zone) (Normative Document No.5 [2024] of the Office of the Administrative Committee of Guangzhou Nansha Economic and Technological Development Zone) is repealed simultaneously. Before the expiration of the Measures, the district judicial administration department shall conduct a phased evaluation of policy implementation according to relevant regulations of higher-level authorities and make timely adjustments based on the evaluation results through due procedures. Where there is any adjustment or change to relevant laws, regulations, rules, or policies within the validity term of these Measures, such adjustment or change shall prevail.

Form of Disclosure: Active Disclosure

Issued by the Office of the Administrative Committee of Guangzhou Nansha Economic and Technological Development Zone and the Office of the People's Government of Nansha District, Guangzhou, on Monday, December 30, 2024