On March 7, 2024, at the Chambers Greater China Region Awards 2024 dinner hosted by Chambers & Partners, an international authoritative legal rating agency, Zhong Lun’s founding partner Xuebing Zhang received the “Lifetime Achievement Award”. This is the first time that Chambers has presented this award in the Greater China Region, aiming to recognize Chinese lawyers who have made outstanding and long-lasting contributions to the development of law firms and the legal profession at large since the restoration of the Chinese legal service system. This prestigious award is a testament to Mr. Zhang’s devotion to China’s legal profession over his legal career spanning more than 30 years, and also a cherished token of congratulations from Chambers, serendipitously coinciding with the firm’s 30th anniversary.

Mr. Zhang is a founding partner of Zhong Lun Law Firm. He established the firm in 1993 and has since led it to achieve breakthroughs and growth through his visionary long-term strategies and holistic thinking. Under his leadership, Zhong Lun has evolved significantly from its modest beginning of a small group of lawyers to a prominent presence in China, comprising thousands of practitioners and covering more than 20 domestic and international areas. Today, the firm stands as a leading powerhouse in China’s legal industry. Mr. Zhang’s advocacy for the values of “professionalism, entrepreneurship, inclusiveness, and sharing” have inspired Zhong Luners to continuously strive for professional breakthroughs. The firm’s structuring conceived under his leadership has become the foundation of Zhong Lun’s competitive advantage in the ever-evolving legal service markets. His efforts in building Zhong Lun’s organizational culture have paved the way for the firm’s pursuit of long-term growth and enduring legacy as a frontrunner in the legal industry.

Not only esteemed within the firm, Mr. Zhang is also a highly recognized leader among peers in the legal service realm. In addition to his commitment to building a Chinese law firm grounded in effective corporate management system, he consistently demonstrates an aptitude for identifying the upcoming major trends in the legal profession. In the meantime, Mr. Zhang remains steadfast in his efforts to improve the professional well-being of lawyers and uphold social responsibilities of the profession. During his 7th and 8th terms as President of the Beijing Lawyers Association, Mr. Zhang led Beijing-based lawyers to actively participate in the “Legal Services for Villages and Neighborhoods” campaign proposed by the Beijing Judicial Bureau, in a bid to offer professional support to remote suburban areas, counties, and villages with limited access to legal resources. Under this campaign, lawyers have been assigned to provide dedicated services to 2,689 village committees and 3,944 neighborhood committees. During his two tenures as Vice President of the All China Lawyers Association, Mr. Zhang actively championed the globalization of Chinese legal profession, particularly in response to the Belt and Road Initiative, and sought to boost the influence of Chinese lawyers in the international forums, such as international arbitration. As Chairman of the Beijing Legal Aid Foundation, Mr. Zhang has been committed to fostering a balanced development of lawyers across the more developed eastern and comparatively disadvantaged western regions. To achieve this goal, he has spearheaded initiatives that give full play to the strengths of the capital-based lawyers, converging the efforts of 12 law firms including Zhong Lun. Notable among the initiatives is the “Western Lawyers Training Program”, of which five sessions has been implemented, benefiting more than 200 lawyers from the west.

Mr. Zhang expressed his gratitude to Chambers for this award. He said that the award not only serves as a recognition of Zhong Lun’s progress over the past 30 years but also stands as a great honor for the entire firm. Further, he stated that lawyers are playing an increasingly important role in China’s rule of law campaign, and pledged that both he and all Zhong Luners remain committed to making even greater efforts in support of this endeavor.

At the ceremony, Chambers also unveiled the awards in the Law Firm category, and Zhong Lun won the “Compliance Law Firm of the Year” award. In recent years, Zhong Lun has strengthened its compliance practice and fully integrated the firm’s elite strength and professional resources in this area, providing strong support and protection for its clients’ global compliance practices.