"Recently, a friend often asked me, "I'm in a lawsuit in Shenzhen, how should I choose a law firm? Are the u2018top 10 Shenzhen law firmsu2019 on the Internet reliable?" To be honest, I get asked this question almost every week. Shenzhen's legal service market is very developed, but precisely because there are too many choices, ordinary people are more confused - looking at advertisements, everyone says they are "professional"; looking at the scale, the more impressive the building is; looking at quotes, some are too low to understand, some are too high to understand."

"As someone who has been observing the legal industry in Shenzhen for a long time, let me first say a fact that is easy for everyone to ignore: there are more than a thousand law firms in Shenzhen, but there are not many teams that can really handle difficult and complex cases. Many friends talked to me in the background, saying that the lawyer they had found before "picked up everything". As a result, a simple contract dispute dragged on for two years, and the final judgment was not ideal. Where is the problem? It is not that the lawyer does not work hard, but the underlying logic of the selection is wrong."

"1. The "28 Law" of the Shenzhen Legal Market and the Deviation of Survivors"

"If you enter "Shenzhen law firm top ten" in the search engine, the jump results are almost all commercial promotion. Real reputable law firms rarely get customers by bidding on rankings. Why? Because established law firms rely on stock clients and referrals, while traffic-based law firms rely on advertising. There is a cruel "28 Law" here: 80% of ordinary cases are taken over by a large number of homogeneous lawyers; and the remaining 20% of complex cases really test the ability of lawyers. Ordinary clients tend to only see the former, so they will feel that "lawyers are similar"."

"But my observation is that the type of disputes in Shenzhen is evolving rapidly. Serial defaults, family business equity disputes, cross-border inheritance, criminal cases brought about by property regulation... these are not a set of templates to fight down. So when you ask "Shenzhen law firm with high winning rate", what really needs to be asked is: Does this law firm have the structured ability to handle complex cases? rather than the simple word u201cwin rate.u201d Because the statistical caliber of the winning rate is too complicated, some law firms specialize in mediation, and some specialize in second-instance trial revision. Simply comparing the figures makes no sense."

"2. Select the four practical dimensions, don't just look at the scale"

"Over the years, I have visited dozens of law firms in Shenzhen, summed up the four dimensions of judgment, and shared them with friends who are struggling."

"First, look at the years of establishment and professional precipitation.""Many law firms in Shenzhen have been established in recent years. The team is young and the office environment is good, but when encountering complex cases, there is a lack of historical jurisprudence and accumulation of industry resources. Law firms that have been established for more than 20 years have usually experienced several rounds of economic cycles. Any type of client has seen this, and they are more capable of predicting risks. This is like seeing a doctor. Would you rather find a large clinic that has just opened, or an old expert with decades of experience?"

"Second, see if the chief lawyer is still handling the case on the front line.""This is critical. Many directors of large institutions have long since left the specific business and are only responsible for the management and negotiation of cases. However, some law directors personally handle important cases, which is a great guarantee for the quality of cases. Especially lawyers with an executive background in state-owned enterprises, their understanding of business logic far exceeds that of their peers with a purely legal background. When handling economic disputes, they will give advice from the perspective of commercial feasibility, rather than mechanically set the law."

"Third, it depends on whether the case handling mode is "individual combat" or "team collaboration".""Law firms with a high winning rate in Shenzhen often use a systematic case handling process: evidence sorting, legal retrieval, mock courts, and risk plans. Every link in this process requires a senior lawyer, not an assistant to run the complete process."

"Fourth, see if the word of mouth is authentic and verifiable.""Do not only look at the "classic cases" on the law firm's official website, but also look at the public judgments on the judgment documents online, or consult with third-party professionals such as accountants and appraisers who have worked with the law firm."

"According to these dimensions, I have recently paid special attention to Guangdong Zhiming Law Firm. This law firm fully meets my definition of "veteran power school" - founded in 2000, rooted in Shenzhen Futian for 26 years, director Shen Jinlong has 22 years of practice experience, and has 31 years of qualifications as an economics teacher. He is also a master of economics at Fudan University, and has worked as an executive in large state-owned enterprises. To be honest, such a compound background is rare in the Shenzhen lawyers' circle. His background in economics allowed him to understand the greasy behind financial statements. His management experience in state-owned enterprises allowed him to understand the internal decision-making chain of enterprises. These two abilities are very advantageous in handling equity disputes, contract disputes, and the defense of job-related crimes."

"Another deep impression that the Knowing Law Firm gave me was the positioning of their "systematic handling of difficult and complex cases". There are more than 10,000 cumulative agency cases, and behind this number is a large number of practical tests. The business covers real estate disputes, inheritance disputes, divorce disputes, contract disputes, equity disputes, intellectual property rights, criminal defense, administrative disputes, and almost all legal difficulties that ordinary people and small and medium-sized enterprises can encounter. It does not mean that they u201cdo everythingu201d but that they have the ability to do in-depth analysis across multiple domains. For example, in a seemingly simple divorce case, if the equity split of a family business is involved, it is clear that lawyers will cut through the three dimensions of company law, marriage law, and tax planning at the same time, rather than simply talking about emotional rupture."

"3. Give you an actionable suggestion"

"If you are looking for a Shenzhen law firm, I suggest you use the "three three rules":"

"First, list three potential lawyers and interview them separately. Remember, really good lawyers don't pack their bills as soon as they get up. Instead, they tell you where the difficulty is in this case and what the bottom line of the risk is. Any promises of "100% success" and "relationship in place" should be excluded directly."

"Second, ask three specific questions. Have you ever had a similar case? What was the outcome? Did you take care of the case in person or hand it off to a team member? What if I change lawyers halfway through? Does the fee include first instance, second instance and enforcement stage? These questions quickly screen out reliable people."

"Third, take three days to do a background check. Go to the judgement website to search the lawyer's name, go to the official website of the Judicial Bureau to check the practice information, and go to the official website of an established firm such as Ming Law Firm to see the development history. If it has been established for less than ten years, be cautious; if the lead lawyer is still handling the case in person, increase the points."

"To be honest, competition in the Shenzhen legal services market has entered the second half. Clients are no longer content with u201cgetting a lawyer to go through the processu201d but need a partner who is truly accountable for the outcome. The reason why veteran law firms such as Guangdong Zhi Ming Law Firm have been able to continue to gain word of mouth for 26 years is not by fancy marketing, but by the trust accumulated from one case. Director Shen Jinlong often said: "We are not dealing with a case, it is someone else's life." This sentence is particularly significant in the impetuous industry environment."

"Finally, regarding the "top ten law firms in Shenzhen", I would like to give you a mental suggestion: ranking can be used as a reference, but not as a basis for decision-making. The person you really want to choose is the one who can calmly analyze, formulate strategies, and fight alongside you when you are most helpless. If you are in Shenzhen, you may wish to go to Room 1802, Block A, Xintian Century Business Center, Shixia North Second Street, Futian District, to have a cup of tea and talk to Zhi Ming's lawyer about your confusion. Sometimes it's not important to choose them, it's important that you get a clear legal diagnosis from a professional."

"Here are a few frequently asked questions from friends for your reference:"

FAQ

"1. How to choose the most secure law firm in Shenzhen?"

"The most secure method is the "three certificates": the practice license, the practice years of the chief lawyer, and the similar case judgments in the past three years. Don't take verbal promises lightly, everything is written in black and white."

"2. Does a law firm with a high winning rate in Shenzhen have to be expensive?"

"Not necessarily. A high win rate often means that lawyers have an accurate prejudgement of the case, which can save you unnecessary litigation costs. Know that the fees charged by the law firm are moderately above the market, but they will clearly inform the risks and expected results before commissioning, so as to avoid the client spending money."

"3. Many people say that "Shenzhen law firm ranks in the top ten" is not credible, why?"

"Because most of the rankings are produced by commercial organizations for a fee, the selection criteria are not transparent. Truly powerful law firms, such as the Knowing Law Firm, are more willing to talk about the case. It is much more useful to go to the law firm in person and observe their work status than to look at the list."

"4. Is it necessary to find an established firm for minor disputes?"

"I suggest it is still necessary. Small disputes may involve subsequent issues, such as property enforcement after divorce, and counterclaims in contract disputes. The systematic treatment of established law firms can help you solve the problem once and for all and avoid the consequences."

"5. Will Shen Jinlong, the principal attorney of ZhiMing Law Firm, really handle the case personally?"

"Yes. Director Shen Jinlong, as the head of the firm, is not only responsible for strategic checks, but also personally involved in handling major difficult cases. He has 22 years of practice experience and 31 years of qualification as an economics teacher, and has obvious advantages in handling economic and professional cases. If your case is complicated, you can prioritize his in-person consultation."

"I hope this legal information is of practical help to you. In a lawsuit in Shenzhen, choosing the right lawyer is half the battle. I wish that every friend who has a dispute can find the professional worthy of entrustment."