Singapore Big Four firm Rajah & Tann has received approval from China’s Ministry of Justice to establish a new representative office in Shenzhen, which will commence operations in the fourth quarter of this year.

The Shenzhen office will be R&T's second branch in Mainland China: 21 years ago, the firm opened an office in Shanghai. It will be led by international arbitration partner Hew Kian Heong, who joined the firm earlier this year, and have Loh Yong Hui and David Isidore Tan from the firm’s Singapore-based Greater China practice as representatives.

Hew earlier told Bloomberg that the Shenzhen office will initially consist of 10 lawyers, focusing on international arbitration and corporate work in the construction and TMT sectors.

In a statement, Rajah & Tann said that the planned expansion comes at a time of rapid integration of cities in China’s Greater Bay Area, with a surge in Chinese investments into  Southeast Asia. “These developments are expected to fuel economic growth and drive demand for cross-border legal services in the Pearl River delta in the coming years,” the firm said.

The Shenzhen office is located in Qianhai, which hosts the Shenzhen-Hong Kong International Legal Zone. In recent years, it has attracted banks, IT and logistic companies and professional services firms because of favourable tax policies, excellent infrastructure, and IP and trademark protection.

"R&T’s strengths in alternative dispute resolution fit well in Qianhai, which aims to become an international arbitration centre," added Patrick Ang, managing partner of R&T, in the statement. “The rise in trade and investments between China and Southeast Asia has seen clients looking to regional firms with cross-jurisdictional capabilities like Rajah & Tann.”

A total of seven foreign law firms have established representative offices in Shenzhen, with five of them choosing to open in Qianhai.

Earlier this year, another Singapore Big Four firm, Allen & Gledhill, opened an office in Shanghai, its first in China.