On 8 November, the “2025 SGLA National Partners’ Convention – Plenary Session” concluded successfully in Chongqing. Nearly 500 partners and outstanding associates from SGLA’s 22 regional offices and 47 offices nationwide reviewed the past five years of “mutual support and side-by-side dedication” and jointly set their sights on a new future guided by the mission of “empowering partners and co-building our vision”.
Session I“Pooling Strength for Integration, Embarking on a New Journey”
Moderators:
- Partner Wu Xiaogang, Executive Director, SGLA Chongqing Office
- Partner Wen Yuting, Member of the National Executive Committee & Senior Partner, SGLA Chengdu Office
Keynote Development Report
Zhou Bo, Head of the National Executive Committee, delivered the *2024-2025 SGLA Development Report*. Highlighted figures sketch five years of leapfrog growth:
- **2,300+ lawyers** (360 % vs 2021)
- **3,000+ total staff** (400 % vs 2021)
- **600+ partners**
- **22 regional offices & 47 offices nationwide**
- **2025 firm-wide revenue** expected to rise **240 % YoY**
- **Client base** expanded **520 %**
SGLA now ranks 16th among China’s largest firms and is the youngest member of the ALB Top 30.
Culture & CSR Report
Yang Jiajun, Head of the National Supervisory Committee, introduced the *2024-2025 SGLA Culture Report*. Since its inception, the Committee has integrated supervision, Party-building, culture and pro-bono work into one matrix (“Supervision as the foundation, Party-building as the soul, culture as the lifeline, pro-bono as the duty”).
- 28 Party branches** established with 800 members
- Flagship initiatives: four “In the Name of Love” charity tours, four photo exhibitions, three “May-4 Fun-Runs”, the first basketball league and speech contest.
Cultural programmes are evolving from aesthetic expression to professional reflection, becoming a spiritual bond that unites the firm.
Advisory Perspective
Xue Yunhua, Chairman of the National Advisory Committee, spoke on“Achieving Greatness through Integration, Creating the Future through Dedication”. He attributed SGLA’s success to three spirits:
1. Founders’spirit of dedication
2. Partners’backbone spirit
3. Admin team’s“cog-in-the-machine” spirit
The firm has completed “physical integration”; the next stage demands “chemical integration”–sharing clients, synergising practices and shifting from “heroic leadership” to “institutional greatness”.
Industry Insights
Professor Han Xiutao, Dean of the Lawyers College at Beijing Institute of Technology and SGLA Strategic Advisor, addressed *“China’s Legal Market & Law-Firm Organisational Strength”. He urged firms to abandon“small-shop mentality”, embrace“new professionalism” and build “organisational vitality” so that “the whole exceeds the sum of its parts”.
Scale, Management & Digitalisation
Yu Junfu, SGLA Strategic Advisor, noted that China now has **830,000 lawyers** and **45,000 firms**, with the top tier commanding an ever-larger share. He recommended SGLA launch a “doubling plan” for scale, refine integrated management, accelerate digital transformation, balance regional growth and focus on nurturing young and foreign-related talent.
Keynote Address
Han Deyun, Chairman of the National Management Committee, delivered“Firm Innovation in an Era of Great Change: Historical Responsibility & Mission”. He dissected three industry contradictions:
1. Misalignment between lawyers’economic and socio-political roles
2. Conflict between commission-based compensation and scale growth
3. Lag in governance systems
He announced that **2026 will be designated “National Integrated Operations Year”**, targeting four gaps: information, perception, execution and competition. Guided by the values “open, inclusive, cooperative and enterprising”, SGLA will reform its compensation model and build an innovative brand-name firm.
Session II “Celebrating Five Years, Co-Creating the Future”
Moderators:
- Partner Liu Yijun, Member of the National Executive Committee & Senior Partner, SGLA Tianjin Office
- Partner Huang Mulan, Chief Operating Liaison Officer & Senior Partner, SGLA Guiyang Office
Launch Ceremony
Representatives of 21 regional offices took the stage to ignite the “Integrated Operations Theme Year”. Over the next five years every office will:
- Tell the SGLA story
- Strengthen co-ordination
- Reform internal mechanisms
Inaugural SGLA Biennial Awards 2024-2025
Partners and teams outstanding in business development, management innovation and culture-building received trophies and applause.
Anniversary Gala Aboard“SGLA Time”Cruise
Delegates boarded the “SGLA Time” for a golden-themed dinner, drone show and deck performances against the glittering confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers, bringing the fifth-birthday celebration to a triumphant close.
By releasing development and culture reports, launching the integrated-operations theme year, presenting the Biennial Awards and mapping future innovation, the Convention marked SGLA’s transition from “big” to “strong”. With a “second-start-up” mindset, SGLA lawyers will press ahead along the dual tracks of institutional drive and cultural empowerment, deepening practice synergy and value creation to forge a community of legal professionals renowned for both professional impact and emotional cohesion.