What will the next decade bring? DHHT Law Firm conducts a mid-year partner meeting to discuss it
In the midst of the hot summer of July, we gathered in Hefei.
From July 18th to 19th,
2026 Annual Partner Meeting of DHHT Law Firm
It was held at the InterContinental Hotel in Hefei.
The partners from various offices have temporarily put aside their busy daily routines.
Gathered around "Qixin".
Starting in 2006 and spanning twenty years until 2026, DHHT Law Firm has steadily rooted itself in professionalism and gathered like-minded partners. Through continuous growth, it has expanded its service scope.
The 20th anniversary marks a point of reflection on our past journey, and also represents a new starting point for our future.
How to transform the accumulated experience over the past two decades into the driving force for development in the next decade has become the core issue of this gathering.
Over the course of two days, there was not only a concentrated display of phased achievements, but also a full exchange of diverse viewpoints.
We talked about both the profession and the growth of lawyers, as well as the governance and collaboration of law firms.
Not only do we pay attention to the current industry changes, but also seriously consider where we should go in the next decade.
Come with questions, but go back with new ideas. This is precisely the meaning of gathering together.
01 First, take a look at the report card, and then we'll move on to the next step.
The meeting began. Zhou Zhan, the director of the National Management Committee and the director of the Hefei Office of DHHT Law Firm, delivered the opening speech. He welcomed the partners from all the offices and expressed his expectation that everyone would have candid exchanges and reach consensus in the following agenda, jointly opening up more ideas for the future development of the law firm.
Next, we have a "Dehe 2026 Mid-Year Briefing" that is rich in data, shows changes, and presents a new look. The director of the Shanghai Management Committee of DHHT Law Firm, lawyer Qiu Wenyu, introduced that over the past year, the number of law firm offices has expanded from 12 to 17, the national ranking has risen to the 51st position, the staff size has exceeded 1,000 people, and the number of practicing lawyers has increased by nearly 22% year-on-year. The pace of large-scale development has continued to accelerate.
While achieving scale development, professional construction has also achieved phased results. In the past two years, the number of awards has doubled compared to the previous session. Professional capabilities and market influence have continued to improve, and the recognition from international authoritative rating agencies has been constantly enhanced. Case-related awards have also achieved breakthroughs. In addition, the brand visual system of the firm has been fully upgraded, which further enhances external recognition and internal cohesion through a unified brand image; the planning of the new office space in Shanghai is also advancing steadily, and in the future, it will provide a better office environment to meet the needs of team collaboration and business development.
02 In the next decade, what kind of partner do you want to be?
As soon as this question was raised, thoughts about the future of one's career also began to flow.
In the roundtable forum titled "What kind of partner do you want to be in the next decade?", Dong Chuanyu, a senior partner of DHHT Law Firm's Shanghai office, served as the moderator. He shared the insights with Chen Yilang, a senior partner of DHHT Law Firm's Chengdu office, Ge Qilin, a partner of DHHT Law Firm's Hefei office, Luo Chongming, a senior partner of DHHT Law Firm's Chongqing office, and Chi Junhui, a senior partner of DHHT Law Firm's Shanghai office, as well as Zhang Yao, the managing partner of DHHT Law Firm's Shanghai office.
How to establish professional labels and how to avoid being confined by them? If one is not good at socializing, can one gain long-term trust by providing solid professional services? With the rapid development of AI, how should lawyers expand their professional capabilities?
The guests shared their experiences and insights, discussing the process of making choices, adjustments, and breakthroughs.
Some people mentioned that achieving excellence in professional services can also lead to the establishment of stable and long-lasting partnerships. Others believe that clear professional labels can help lawyers differentiate themselves, but they also need to constantly update them in response to market changes. Still others have turned their attention to the productization of knowledge and the application of AI, seeking new service approaches.
The answers vary, but the direction is very clear: professionalism is the foundation, collaboration is the support, and continuous learning is the compulsory course for moving forward into the future.
03 There is no standard answer. Let's figure it out together.
In the morning, we talked about personal growth. In the afternoon, we shifted our focus to the law firm.
How can law firms better empower lawyers in the new situation? How can individual IP and the firm's brand mutually enhance each other? How can operations management, professionalization construction and talent cultivation be further optimized? What can lawyers do in the face of AI and industry competition? What expectations do people have for the next decade?
The list of issues was long and very real. The participating partners were divided into groups to exchange ideas, placing the experiences from different offices and different professional fields on the table, and openly sharing their observations and challenges encountered in practice.
Some issues do not have a single definitive answer at present. However, through repeated communication, the needs of both parties have been recognized, and the direction of progress has become clearer.
04 Pull the camera back to observe how the industry is changing.
On the morning of July 19th, the meeting shifted its focus from DHHT Law Firm to the Chinese legal profession.
Wang Fengmei, the founding partner and CEO of Lixin News Agency, delivered a special presentation titled "Current Situation and Trends of China's Legal Profession Development". Starting from the development history of the industry, she analyzed changes in client demands, the application of AI technology, competition among new legal service providers, and the opportunities and challenges brought about by enterprises going global.
The scale advantage is gradually fading away, customer demands are constantly upgrading, and AI is reshaping the working methods. In the face of these changes, the answer is not to avoid them, but to actively adjust: establish barriers through specialization, gain advantages through differentiation, enhance efficiency through digitalization, and seek growth opportunities in new demands such as cross-border services.
Change brings pressure, but it also opens up new opportunities for those who are willing to take the first step.
05 Finally, let's bring the discussion back to each individual.
At the end of the meeting, Zhang Hengtong, a founding partner of DHHT Law Firm, delivered a keynote speech titled "Initiating a New Era, The Next Decade".
He led everyone to look back on the accumulated experiences they had gone through along the way, and also turned his gaze towards the new decade.
Looking to the future, he encouraged the partners to keep learning, maintain confidence and resilience, be courageous in taking action, adhere to the compliance bottom line, and hold themselves to the standards of a brand ambassador. Every office, every partner, every lawyer and every colleague is a touchpoint through which the DHHT Law Firm brand meets the outside world.
He advised the young partners: Take good care of your health, do well in the things you love, treat the important people well, and everything you desire is on the way.
Twenty years is not merely a measurement of time.
It records the footsteps of DHHT Law Firm as he set off from Shanghai and spread across the country. It also embodies the professional dedication, mutual trust and shared growth of generations of Dehe people.
Looking back at the 20th anniversary milestone, every step we have taken has been the confidence to keep moving forward.
The discussion in the meeting has come to an end for the time being, and new actions have just begun.
The thoughts formed during the communication will be applied back to daily practice, teamwork and customer service, transforming into more solid professional capabilities, more smooth collaborative mechanisms and more empathetic service experiences.
The accumulation over the past twenty years has come together here, and a new chapter has also begun from this point.
The concept of "innovation" does not mean waiting for a completely new beginning. Instead, it means starting from this moment and continuously opening up new possibilities based on the existing accumulation.
Twenty years old, at the prime of life; for the next journey, let's go and answer together; a new chapter, let's write it together.
Don't leave yet. There's a surprise in store: A one-click switch to team-building mode
Beyond the meeting, the pace smoothly shifts.
Team vitality was immediately activated.
The skillful poleball game tests teamwork and coordination.
The group dance allowed everyone to fully express themselves to their heart's content along with the rhythm.
From the perspective of the discussions and exchanges within the venue,
Collaboration during the event
Everyone let go of their exhaustion and came closer together.
It also helped the colleagues from different offices become more familiar and develop a better rapport with each other.
