Leading global law firm Herbert Smith Freehills has extended its innovative Alternative Legal Services business to China.

Leading global law firm Herbert Smith Freehills has extended its innovative Alternative Legal Services business to China.

A 13-member team of lawyers and legal analysts bilingual in Mandarin and English has been set up in the firm's Shanghai office.

It is the first alternative legal services hub of its kind in China.

The business combines legal expertise, process efficiency and client technology solutions to process high-volume or document-intensive work more efficiently and cost effectively for clients, complementing the high-end advice offered by the firm's lawyers from its existing Greater China offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, and internationally. 

"A complex transaction or dispute can involve the review of millions of Chinese-language documents that often must remain in China," said Libby Jackson, Global Head of Alternative Legal Services. 

"By equipping this new team with the technology and processes proven at our existing legal hubs in Belfast and Perth, we can offer clients a cost-effective way of tackling the document-intensive elements of these projects on the ground in China."

"This innovation of a new centre in Shanghai helps us deliver on the firm's commitment to providing innovative and cost-effective service delivery options to our clients. It is part of our new strategy launched earlier this year, and continues the pioneering work we have done in the alternative delivery of our services to clients," said Global Co-CEO Sonya Leydecker. 

Notes for editors

Herbert Smith Freehills' Alternative Legal Services global team has more than 350 lawyers, legal assistants and technologists, working from centres in Belfast, Brisbane, London, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney and now Shanghai.
Its products and services include document review, transaction support including due diligence, claims assessment, commercial contracts, funds repapering/specialist work, client technology services (including advisory and document review software) and asset management for real estate clients.  Last year, the team processed 63 million documents, reviewed over 3 million documents and 5,000 property leases, and managed the administration of more than 500 funds.

About Herbert Smith Freehills
Operating from over 26 offices across Asia Pacific, EMEA and North America, Herbert Smith Freehills is at the heart of the new global business landscape providing premium quality, full-service legal advice. We provide many of the world’s most important organisations with access to market-leading dispute resolution, projects and transactional legal advice, combined with expertise in a number of global industry sectors, including energy, natural resources, infrastructure, technology and financial services. www.herbertsmithfreehills.com

Follow us on Twitter @HSFPressOffice