Shanghai, 15 April - Baker & McKenzie and FenXun Partners today became the first international and PRC law firms to enter into a Joint Operation in the China (Shanghai) Free Trade Zone. Their Joint Operation is a historic step - the first law firms to be approved by the PRC authorities to provide their clients with international and PRC law capacity through the Shanghai Free Trade Zone initiative.

Baker & McKenzie was the first international law firm licensed to practice law in China when it opened in Beijing in 1993 and is the leading international law firm in China. It opened its Shanghai office in 2003. FenXun Partners was founded in Beijing in 2009. The application to form the Joint Operation is the first approved by the Shanghai Bureau of Justice. The announcement was made at a ceremony at the Baker & McKenzie FenXun (FTZ) Joint Operation offices in the Shanghai Free Trade Zone.

The Joint Operation is a historic step for both firms, providing them with a unique platform through which they can offer both international and PRC law advice to their clients.