The law firm founded by Francesco Gianni is strengthening its team in Shanghai which works in collaboration with the Hong Kong firm. Two new firms in Moscow and Singapore are scheduled to open soon, following the routes of big business along the new Silk Roads. The business model is working towards the European network.
"The number of Italian companies interested in China is constantly growing and it could not be otherwise, regardless of growth or economic slowdowns". Stefano Beghi, head attorney of the Chinese team of Gianni Origoni Grippo and Cappelli (Gop) law firm, set a second move to strengthen the presence on the huge Chinese market. With a team of 400 attorneys, Gop leads the ranking of the most active Italian law firms in the legal advisory worldwide.
After the opening of a second office in Shanghai last year, entrusted to Sara Monti, Beghi is looking for Chinese or Sino-European attorneys to strengthen the team in China Mainland, which joins the Hong Kong based office. Operating since 2014, the firm can count on a dozen mostly Chinese-language professionals.
"Shanghai was an inevitable choice to bring us closer to the greater confluence of Italian companies, which remains one of our reference targets", explained Beghi, who has been operating in China since 2013.
The swirling development of the Hong Kong area, or the great bay area, imposes strategies and clear choices even to professionals. It is now extremely easy to reach the technology hub of Shenzen - only 12 minutes far by train - and the tourism and entertainment center of Macao, which is connected to Hong Kong by a bridge and is reachable by car in 20 minutes,
The former British colony, at the center of a 70 million people aggregation, thousands of businesses and growing trade, is now more projected towards the more advanced economies of Southeast Asia. The initiatives linked to the Belt & Road hub are involving Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and to these new directions must also look at the professionals who follow the business.
The Chinese team led by Beghi is aiming for two categories of business. The first category involves non-Chinese international companies which want to start a partnership in China and are seeking a partner with a strong European background, providing more tailored advisory than huge Chinese or American firms, mainly focused on large operations with very high costs. "There are several Indian, Korean and Swedish multinationals that appreciate our approach," said Beghi.
The second working area for the firm's team is winning the trust of Chinese companies interested in doing business in Italy or with Italian companies, and in European countries where they have a direct or indirect presence. In this field, Beghi and his team can boast the track record of M&A transactions and extraordinary finance operations of the first Italian law firm and therefore the related contacts.
"One of the next challenges in China for law firms will be the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) that will tend to standardize, and therefore make less important, from the economic point of view, contractual practices, and ask professionals a quantitative leap in consulting skills on strategic issues of industrial development, enhancing networks and contacts, "explained Beghi. His team is also leaning on Singapore, where partner lawyer Alessandro Zalonis is operating, and on Russia, followed by partner Moreno Martini, but who will have a base in Moscow by the end of the year.
The confirmation came yesterday, in the margins of a seminar set up by Banca Intesa Moscow on the Eurasian area, a free trade community consisting of 180 million people, which is also a link between the Russian and Chinese markets.
"Gop aims to support the business world in this process of access and connection to the Eurasian market through its dedicated desk. Another office in Moscow is likely to be opened within the year. Together with Banca Intesa Russia, a joint laboratory is being designed to consolidate and encourage the flow of investments between Italy and Russia in both directions ", specified Moreno Martini.
(Source:Class Editori)
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