Notice on Issuing the Support Measures for the Development of the Legal Service Cluster in Guangzhou Nansha New Area (Free Trade Zone)

Support Measures for the Development of the Legal Service Cluster in Guangzhou Nansha New Area (Free Trade Zone)

Article 1       These Measures are formulated for the purposes of accelerating the clustered development of the international and domestic authoritative legal service industry in Guangzhou Nansha New Area (Free Trade Zone), creating a headquarters of high-end legal services in Nansha, further improving the legal service in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Belt and Road regions, and developing Nansha into a demonstration zone for the promotion of the rule of law in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Article 2       Nansha district is responsible for the support funds for the legal service industry. The recipients of support shall mainly be legal service enterprises, institutions, and organizations that are based in the legal service cluster and able to promote the development of the legal service industry in Nansha New Area (Free Trade Zone).

Article 3       The legal service cluster is located at "Nansha Shui'an Plaza," at the junction of Jingang Dadao, Jiaoxi Lu, and Haibin Lu of Nansha district of Guangzhou municipality.

Article 4       Legal service enterprises, institutions, or organizations that have certain professional qualifications and a certain number of professionals; that play a leading, demonstrative, and driving role in the industry; and whose place of registration, place of tax collection and administration, and place of tax statistics are in the legal service cluster may apply for the support fund of the legal service industry if they meet any one of the following conditions and have obtained the approval of being based in the legal service cluster from the authority of the cluster.

(a) Law firms (including branch offices) established under the Lawyers Law of the People's Republic of China and with approval from the judicial authority; representative offices in Nansha district of law firms from a foreign country, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, or Macao Special Administrative Region; or law firms jointly established by law firms from Hong Kong Special Administrative Region or Macao Special Administrative Region and law firms from the Chinese mainland;

(b) Organizations and institutions that are approved by and registered with the competent authorities, such as judicial and civil affairs authorities, or which are registered and established in accordance with laws and regulations, and that provide public legal services like notarization, judicial appraisal, legal ascertainment, arbitration, intellectual property protection, and mediation;

(c) Training institutions of professionals in foreign law established in Nansha District with the approval from relevant authorities of Guangzhou municipality, Guangdong province, and the People's Republic of China;

(d) Branch offices established in Nansha district by legal service institutions from a foreign country, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, or Macao Special Administrative Region;

(e) Other professional legal service enterprises, institutions, or organizations that are able to promote the development of the legal service industry in Nansha New Area (Free Trade Zone).

Article 5       Subsidy for Office Premises

Legal service enterprises, institutions, or organizations that meet any one of the following conditions and that rent offices for its own use in the legal service cluster may be granted a subsidy for office premises after paying the rent.

(a) Enterprises, institutions, or organizations with more than twenty (20) staff members, at least ten (10) of whom shall be practicing lawyers, practicing notaries, practicing judicial appraisers, or professionals with intermediate or above certificates;

(b) Newly established enterprises, institutions, or organizations and their branch offices, with at least five million yuan ($763,649.32) in paid-up registered capital;

(c) Law firms that have, since 2018, received honorary titles from the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the State Council, ministries and commissions of the State, the Guangdong Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China and the People's Government of Guangdong Province, or the Guangzhou municipal committee of the Communist Party of China and the people's government of Guangzhou municipality or that have been recognised as Excellent Law Firms in China and Excellent Law Firms in Guangdong province;

(d) Law firms jointly established by law firms from Hong Kong Special Administrative Region or Macao Special Administrative Region and law firms from China's mainland; or representative offices of law firms from a foreign country, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, or Macao Special Administrative Region in Nansha New Area (Free Trade Zone).

The subsidy for office premises will be one hundred percent (100%) of the office rentals for the first year, fifty percent (50%) for the second year, and twenty-five percent (25%) for the third to fifth year. The subsidy will not exceed three million yuan each year, and will not exceed the actual rental expenditure of the enterprises, institutions, or organizations for a maximum period of five (5) years.

Within five (5) years after receiving the subsidy for office premises, the enterprises, institutions, or organizations shall not lease, sublease, or repurpose the office. Otherwise, the subsidy shall be returned in proportion on the date of leasing, subleasing, or repurposing.

For enterprises, institutions, or organizations that apply for the subsidy for office premises, the subsidy period for each application shall, in principle, be one (1) year, and the time of application shall be one (1) year after the actual date of renting the office premises (the date recorded in the lease contract archived at the Rental House Administration Centre).

The rented "office premises" mentioned herein refers to the premises rented by the enterprises, institutions, or organizations for office use of their own, excluding auxiliary and supporting spaces (canteen, garage, warehouse, etc.).

Article 6       Reward for Economic Contribution

Legal service enterprises, institutions, or organizations that have been based in the legal service cluster for more than two (2) years and that meet any one of the following conditions may be rewarded, based on their contribution to the economy of Nansha district. Such rewards will not exceed 300,000 yuan  each year, for a maximum period of five (5) years.

(a) Enterprises, institutions, or organizations that generate over five million yuan in business revenue  in the previous year and records a year-on-year growth of over ten percent (10%) may be awarded ten percent (10%) of their contribution to the economy of Nansha district;

(b) Enterprises, institutions, or organizations that generate over 15 million yuan in       business revenue in the previous year and record a year-on-year growth of over ten percent (10%) may be awarded twenty percent (20%) of their contribution to the economy of Nansha District;

(c) Enterprises, institutions, or organizations that generate over 30 million yuan in business revenue in the previous year and record a year-on-year growth of over ten percent (10%) may be awarded thirty percent (30%) of their contribution to the economy of Nansha district.

Article 7       Subsidy for Professionals

Law professionals that have signed employment contracts with a legal service enterprise, institution, or organization in the legal service cluster and that meet conditions (d) and (e) of this article and any one of conditions (a), (b), or (c) of this article may be granted a one-time work subsidy of 30,000 yuan.

(a) Holding law practitioner qualifications from a foreign country, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, or Macao Special Administrative Region; and working with an enterprise, institution, or organization in the legal service cluster;

(b) Engaging in legal studies and teaching; and holding a senior professional title or an equivalent professional level recognised by relevant departments;

(c) Having passed the National Legal Professional Qualification Examination and obtained the Legal Professional Qualification Certificate; or holding the qualification of practicing lawyers, practicing notaries, and practicing judicial appraisers;

(d) Having paid social security taxes in Nansha for a total of over three (3) years;

(e) Having not been, due to violations of laws, regulations, or professional ethics, subject to punishment from the administration or the industry or made a negative influence in the society.

Article 8       The fiscal support fund herein is subject to a maximum limit. Where any project or matter that meets the requirements herein meets the requirements in other support policies of Nansha district (including policies of supporting or undertaking funds required of Nansha district by superior departments), support will be given in accordance with the policy that grants the largest subsidy, unless it is otherwise specified.

Article 9       These Measures shall come into force on the date of promulgation and shall remain in force for five (5) years. Where there is any change or adjustment to relevant laws, regulations, or policies within the validity term of these Measures, such change or adjustment shall prevail. Upon expiry, these Measures will be evaluated and revised in accordance with laws based on the implementation.

These Measures are interpreted by the Nansha district bureau of justice of Guangzhou municipality.

Form of Disclosure: Active Disclosure

(This English version is only for reference. To learn more, please refer to the authoritative Chinese version.)