HHP and Meritas Showcase Cross-Border Legal Collaboration at CIIE 2026
HHP Attorneys-At-Law was pleased to coordinate a joint Meritas showcase at the 9th China International Import Expo (CIIE), bringing together contributions from fellow member firms in Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.
This year marked the first time cross-border legal services were featured in a dedicated joint exhibition area within CIIE's Trade in Services section.
On 7 November, the exhibition area received separate visits from Zhang Yahong, Vice Mayor of Shanghai; Yang Xiangbin, Director-General of the Ministry of Justice's Public Legal Services Administration; and Gu Quan, Director-General of the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Justice.
HHP Partner Yao RAO introduced the Meritas network, its governance and quality assurance mechanisms, and examples of how HHP has worked with member firms across jurisdictions to support Chinese companies' international operations.
The showcase also drew attention from major Chinese media.
In a feature on cross-border legal services at CIIE, Jiefang Daily, a leading Shanghai newspaper, highlighted Meritas as an example of how independent law firms collaborate internationally.
The newspaper interviewed HHP Partner Shihao XIAO, who shared a cross-border data compliance project involving a Chinese automotive supply-chain company. Meritas member firms in Thailand, Indonesia and Mexico collaborated to examine the company's information systems and data flows, helping it address different local regulatory requirements while supporting group-wide management needs. Shihao also explained Meritas' referral feedback mechanism, which allows member firms to evaluate service quality and responsiveness following collaborative matters.
The Meritas booth also appeared in CIIE coverage broadcast by CCTV's Finance Channel (CCTV-2) and News Channel (CCTV-13), bringing further visibility to the network and its collaborative approach.
For HHP, the strength of Meritas lies not simply in its global reach, but in the trusted relationships, local expertise and quality standards that make cross-border collaboration work in practice.
As the first Meritas member firm in mainland China, HHP values the opportunity to connect Chinese businesses with experienced local counsel worldwide, while contributing to international matters involving fellow member firms.
We sincerely thank our Meritas colleagues for their support and contributions to this year's CIIE showcase. We look forward to building on these connections and continuing to work together for clients across borders.
