On 6 July, East China University of Political Science and Law (ECUPL) hosted discussions with Shanghai Landing Law Offices at its Changning campus. The meeting was attended by Wang Zhan, senior partner and Party branch secretary of Shanghai Landing Law Offices; Sun Yun, senior partner and co-founder of the AI-powered “Nezha Global Legal Service” platform; Wu Qiaofang, director of ECUPL’s International Exchange Center and dean of the International School; Li Yong, deputy director of the International Exchange Center and associate dean of the International School; together with other representatives from both sides.
At the meeting, Professor Wu Qiaofang provided a comprehensive overview of ECUPL’s international education framework and the progress made in cultivating talent for international legal practice.She noted that as Chinese companies expand their presence in overseas markets,where they face increasingly complex legal and regulatory environments,the need for professionals with both legal expertise and international experience is greater than ever. Guided by an educational approach that combines a focus on foreign-related rule of law with a strong emphasis of practical training, ECUPL has drawn on its strengths in legal education and diverse country-specific perspectives and resources represented by its international students to build a practice-based training networks covering major regions around the world.
Professor Wu said that Landing Law Offices had accumulated extensive experience in serving Chinese enterprises operating overseas, and that its global legal service network was closely aligned with ECUPL’s international development strategy. She also highlighted the firm’s jointly developed “Nezha Global Legal Service” AI platform, which effectively addresses practical challenges often encountered by companies overseas, including unfamiliarity with local policies and laws, language barriers and limited access to local resources. She expressed the hope that both sides would take the meeting as an opportunity to deepen cooperation in the cultivation of legal talent with expertise in specific jurisdictions, the joint development of overseas internship bases, and cross-border legal services. Together, she said, they could explore new models of university-law firm collaboration in support of China’s broader opening-up agenda.
Wang Zhan reviewed the development of Shanghai Landing Law Offices and its global presence. He said that as Chinese companies continue to expand their global footprint, the firm has established branches and offices in 37 countries and regions, creating a legal services network that covers major destinations for Chinese businesses expanding overseas. He spoke highly of ECUPL’s academic reputation and the quality of its talent cultivation in the field of foreign-related rule of law, and said he looked forward to deeper cooperation between the two sides to facilitate resource sharing and leverage their respective strengths.
Sun Yun then introduced the firm’slatest initiatives in utilizing technology to enhance legal services. She said the jointly-developed AI-powered “Nezha Global Legal Service” platform is China’s first AI large-model platform dedicated to providing legal services for companies expanding overseas. The platform focuses on key areas such as intellectual property protection, overseas compliance systems, cross-border e-commerce platform rules, and transaction structuring, covering the full lifecycle of corporate overseas expansion. She hoped to integrate the firm’s front-line practical expertise with ECUPL’s academic strengths and the native-language capabilities of its international students. She also proposed involving international students from relevant countries in information gathering and updates, leveraging their local insights to improve the accuracy and relevance of the database and thereby enhancing its overall practical value.
The two sides engaged in in-depth and constructive discussions on supporting the Chinese enterprises going global.Professor Wu highlighted that ECUPL would focus on key destinations for Chineseout bound investment, including Central Asia, and accelerate the implementation of “2+2” joint training programmes with partner universities in countries such as Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. These programs would be designed to cultivate bilingual, locally grounded professionals with expertise in both legal and business matters, and a solid understanding of local laws and commercial practices.
At the enterprise level, Professor Wu proposed tailored training programs for legal professionals working with multinational companies and serving overseas clients. This initiative would form a comprehensive and integrated training framework encompassing mixed-class sessions, bringing together corporate practitioners and international students from destination countries, and field-based study programs at overseas partner universities. Both sides also reached a preliminary consensus on holding regular interdisciplinary academic salons. These events are expected to convene representatives of Chinese companies operating overseas, legal practitioners,and international students for meaningful dialogues. They would help students from relevant countries gain a clearer understanding of the practical legal needs of Chinese companies abroad, guide them towards research with practical applications, and deepen their understanding of opportunities for cooperation between their home countries and China.
The meeting marked a substantial strengthening of the partnership between ECUPL and Shanghai Landing Law Offices, building on earlier collaborative projects such as the “ECUPL Overseas Legal Practice Programme for 100 Students”. Both sides expressed their commitment to promoting the programs discussed and ensuring that the outcomes of their cooperation are translated into tangible results, including practical platforms that support the development of students and faculty, as well as legal service initiatives that assist Chinese enterprises increase their international influence. They also expressed the hope that the partnershipwould serve as an innovative example of university-law firm collaboration in advancing foreign-related rule of law in the new era.
Shanghai Landing Law Offices is a fast-growing full-service international law firm headquartered in Shanghai.Dedicated to building a leading international law firm under Chinese leadership, it has established multiple branches and offices in China and overseas. With a global business spanning major economies around the world, the firm has developed into one of the Chinese law firms with the most extensive presence in developing countries along the Belt and Road, and its network of branches and offices continuing to expand rapidly.
