At the age of twenty, we moved into the heart of this city with a brand new identity.
A true "refreshment" usually doesn't start from the actual site.
It is hidden within the countdown numbers, in the barrage of emojis in the colleagues' group chats, in the successive layers of information conveyed through the admission tickets, and also in your faint anticipation for the future.
On May 22, 2026, at the ITC in Xujiahui Center in Shanghai, on the occasion of DHHT Law Firm's 20th birthday, we finally turned this "renewal" into a tangible reality.
PART 01
The countdown for the event is underway. We deliberately didn't tell you what happened.
A few days ago, if you had followed our official account, you would have noticed that the style was not quite right.
It's not a profile of lawyers, nor a professional article, but rather a series of words - "SEE YOU SOON".
The comment section went crazy: "Are we moving?" "Has the logo changed?" "Is there going to be some big event again?"
Immediately after that, someone in the group posted a dynamic video of a virtual ticket. The time and location were written as: May 22nd, Xujiahui Center ITC.
Then, there were three countdown posters, each one more resembling a movie trailer than the previous one. Someone sent a message to the editor, asking, "Are you guys going to make a legal drama?"
We didn't respond.
Because true "refreshment" is something we want you to witness with your own eyes.
PART 02
She stood on the stage, without holding the script.
Before the signing ceremony began, the host said, "Please allow Ms. Wan Xiaolan, the Party Secretary of Xujiahui Sub-district, to come up to the stage and deliver a speech."
We originally expected to have an opening speech like "Dear leaders and guests..."
But she stepped onto the stage, without holding the script, smiled and said:
"DHHT Law Firm, I have actually been keeping an eye on you all."
There was a moment of silence in the audience.
She said that over the years, the lawyers of DHHT Law Firm have appeared on the small benches in community public legal education sessions, at the long tables in the street mediation rooms, and at those moments when ordinary people were most helpless and in need of legal assistance.
"You are not just lawyers sitting in office buildings. You are lawyers walking down this street."
She paused for a moment and then said:
"Today, as you move into the Xujiahui Center, I am very happy. Not because there is one more big firm here, but because - a firm that is willing to stay close to ordinary people, has finally stood in the brightest part of the city."
She hopes that we can use this as a foundation to further deepen our expertise and also to remain rooted in the grassroots level.
She said that the construction of regional rule of law requires such law firms.
At that moment, several young lawyers sitting in the audience repeatedly bowed their heads.
It wasn't because of the empty words. It was because someone witnessed the efforts that weren't recorded in the files.
PART 03
On the day of the signing, this stroke of the pen lifted the dreams of many people for a decade.
On May 22nd, outside the landing window of the ITC in Xujiahui Center, the entire city was shrouded in fine mist, looking like a painting that had just been completed in ink.
Zhang Hengtong, the founding partner of DHHT Law Firm, and Deng Haoshan, the deputy general manager of New Hongki, signed their names on the signing platform.
The pen was moved very gently, but Zhang Hengtong lawyer said, "This is one of the particularly cautious signings I have made in my career."
We have officially moved in - to the 11th floor of Building B of Xujiahui Center, ITC.
From one office to another, it's not just the change in distance.
In the future, when customers come to visit us, they will be able to see that building just by looking up as they exit the subway station.
It was the early morning after a long workday. The city lights outside the window would tell you, "You are at the core, you are present."
PART 04
When the new logo was unveiled, some people's eyes became red.
Many people ask: Why go to such great lengths to change the logo of a law firm?
Let's tell you a story first:
The design team that worked with us this time is Dongdao Design - you know the visual system for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, right? That was them.
A team that has previously organized the Winter Olympics, the Paralympics, and the G20 summit - why would they take on a project from a law firm?
Yao Shanshan, the design director of Dongdao, said: "Because the people from DHHT Law Firm told us that what they wanted was not just a logo, but a professional attitude that could be seen."
After the unveiling of the new logo, Lawyer Zhang Hengtong said something that has since been remembered by many people:
"By adopting the highest standards and the most universal language, we aim to interpret the core essence of DHHT Law Firm - this is the belief and pursuit of the word 'extreme'."
The new visual symbol is no longer just a long string of Chinese and English names along with a badge.
It is called DHHT and has been designed as a unique mark.
"Calling itself 'In'," it is very much like the temperament of this law firm: quiet and unassuming, yet no one can ignore its presence.
At the moment the new logo was unveiled, several colleagues who had been working with DHHT Law Firm for ten years burst into tears.
It's not sentimentality. It's because they understand that every time they stayed up late to write the complaint, every time they fought until the very end for their clients, every time they silently presented the evidence in court, and every time they were supported firmly by the law firm -
All these invisible efforts have finally resulted in a visual language that can be understood by everyone.
(The new logo looks like this. Take a look, take a close look.)
PART 05
At the round table session, we began to discuss matters beyond "surviving".
In the second half of the press conference, we didn't talk about the office building or the logo anymore.
We have invited Wang Fengmei, the founder of Lvxin News Agency, Yu Pengming, the founder of Xinzhe, Qiu Wenyu, the director of the Shanghai Management Committee of DHHT Law Firm, and the one you all know as @Fashan叔 (whose real name is Li Kunwei and who is the managing partner of our Chengdu office).
The host, Uncle Fashan, asked a rather "big" question:
When a law firm reaches the age of 20, what exactly should it focus on?
Teacher Wang Fengmei was the first to speak. She said that she had observed the growth trajectories of many law firms and discovered a pattern:
Survival → Business → Life → Ecology.
In the first ten years, the focus was on survival and business operations. By the twentieth year, when values had stabilized and the organization had matured, it was time to shift from "doing things" to "building an ecosystem". Today, DHHT Law Firm is undertaking brand rejuvenation, space upgrades, and organizational transformation. This is not merely a superficial change; it is an inevitable choice towards long-termism.
Yu Pengming nodded and added a straightforward truth about the industry:
The legal industry is no longer about who has more people or who has a taller building. Now it's all about - can you attract young people and can you make them want to stay? In short, it's the young lawyers who will rule the game.
He glanced at the many young faces sitting in the audience. "What DHHT Law Firm gave me today is that the proportion of young lawyers is high, there is a smooth career path, the atmosphere is gentle and there is a sense of cohesion - this kind of competitiveness is already quite rare in the current industry."
Lawyer Qiu Wenyu, who serves as the manager of the Shanghai office, responded from an internal perspective:
Over the past few years, we have been doing one thing - turning "professionalism" into something that can be passed down. It's not through individual heroism, but through a step-by-step training process and a stable cultural foundation. No matter how competitive the outside environment becomes, we can at least make our lawyers feel: This place is worth staying in.
Fa Shan Senior - that is, Lawyer Li Kunwei - said with a smile, "As the representative of young lawyers, I would like to say this. In fact, we of this generation are not afraid of hard work. What we fear is not being noticed or trusted. DHHT Law Firm made me feel that if you do things seriously, there will really be people who will support you."
When it came to the hottest topic in the industry - AI and the phenomenon of "internal competition" - the atmosphere became a bit more relaxed.
Wang Fengmei believes that AI is profoundly transforming the working methods of basic legal services: knowledge retrieval, document writing, process management... All of these will be significantly accelerated.
"But there is one thing that AI will never be able to do well - the temperature of the customer's hand when they hold your hand, or the moment when you capture a glimmer of hesitation from the other party in the courtroom. These aspects that rely on human value judgments and emotional connections fall outside the scope of technology."
Yu Pengming put it more directly: "So don't be afraid of AI. What you should fear is turning yourself into an AI. The true competitiveness lies in using AI to enhance yourself, rather than being replaced by AI."
Lawyer Qiu Wenyu added from a management perspective: "AI can shorten the growth cycle of young lawyers, which is a good thing. However, strategic judgments and experience wisdom in complex cases still rely on humans. Our current attitude is - fully embrace technology, but never lose the professional essence."
Master Fashan made one final strike. The audience burst into laughter: "In essence, when you can't roll the dice, just switch to a different strategy. Don't be greedy with the existing resources. Instead, explore new opportunities. The new market is still huge."
At the end of the round table discussion, everyone summed up their thoughts in one sentence.
Wang Fengmei said, "At the age of twenty, it is the starting point for transitioning from excellence to excellence."
Yu Pengming said, "Brand, technology, and organizational capability - they are all three elements."
Qiu Wenyu said: "Professional foundation, service commitment, altruistic value."
Fa Shan Senior said, "Stay humble, remain open-minded, and go with the flow."
PART 06
Lawyer Zhang Hengtong said: "Twenty years old is not a conclusion, but a starting point."
The last one to take the stage was founding partner Zhang Hengtong, the lawyer.
He didn't read from a script. Standing in the middle of the stage, he said:
"DHHT Law Firm is twenty years old today. At the age of twenty, people don't write memoirs; they write plans instead."
He said, "Moving into ITC, changing the logo, and redesigning our communication approach - not for show, but so that everyone who believes in DHHT Law Firm can see more clearly what it means to believe."
He spoke about the strategy for the next decade in a calm tone, but the content was very powerful:
"Choosing to stand side by side with the best is the most direct expression of DHHT Law Firm's strategic plan for the next decade. From today on, we will prioritize the brand and the market, and based on an integrated approach, allow the scale to grow naturally. What we need to enhance is the ability to serve major clients and solve complex problems."
He said that the current competitiveness of law firms requires the ability to integrate commercial thinking, industry insight, and a global perspective.
"We are shifting from the past approach of 'doing things steadily and waiting to be noticed' to the current one of 'actively connecting and exploring the unknown'."
Then, he paused for a few seconds and lowered his voice a little.
The following passage was later captured by several people using their mobile phones.
"I hope one day, we will become increasingly excellent, but without a sense of superiority; we will become increasingly bright, but not in a dazzling way."
The whole place fell silent.
It's not the kind of awkward silence; it's the kind of silence where you feel as if you've been struck by something.
He went on to say, "What is the ultimate ideal of DHHT Law Firm?"
"Newcomers don't want to leave, and the old ones even want to come back. We have had client cooperation before, and they are still willing to continue to trust and choose us. We must become the legal service institution that makes lawyers feel the most 'respected' and remains continuously vibrant."
Regarding those who have been traveling along this journey, he said:
"Thank every family member, friend, customer who has watered, guarded and supported DHHT Law Firm, as well as our companions, competitors, and detractors. It is because of you that we have DHHT Law Firm today."
Finally, he said something, which was shared widely on many people's social media feeds:
"There has never been a 'best decision' in the world. We can only do our best after making a decision."
After finishing his speech, he made a slight bow and then stepped down from the stage.
The applause lasted for a long time.
PART 07
Final Note: Renewal is not about changing; it's about remaining the same.
After the activity was over,
Some people stood under the ITC building and looked up at it. Some others posted an old countdown poster in the group, saying: "Three days ago we were still guessing, but now we know."
A press conference, a signing ceremony, a new visual presentation, a discussion on the brand building of the law firm, and a monologue about "bright but not dazzling" -
These are the "renewed" surfaces.
And the true renewal lies in our decision to stand in a brighter place at the age of twenty, to continue doing the same thing in a clearer manner, as we have always done:
For those who trust us, we must uphold the last line of defense and also strive for the best possible outcome.
No matter how the brand evolves or how the office space is renovated,
The reverence that the DHHT Law Firm people have for laws and regulations, and their sincere devotion to their clients, will never fade.
DHHT Law Firm, the next chapter has begun.
Welcome to visit our new home in the future.
Coordinates: 11th Floor, Building B, Xujiahui Center, ITI, Xuhui District, Shanghai
Tea is ready. Besides coffee, there are also stories.
