How to: hire your first in-house lawyer in China

September 7, 2023

Why recruit your first lawyer in China?

There are numerous reasons a company decides to recruit their first in-house lawyer in China. Traditionally the key driver was to reduce reliance on external law firms and the associated costs of briefing work out. However, the intangible aspects of bringing legal work in-house as well as heightened corporate governance and regular changes to local regulations are now often the main consideration for companies.

Our guide provides insights into how to hire your first in-house lawyer and gives answers to questions like:

  • When is the best time to recruit an in-house lawyer?
  • What is the role of an in-house lawyer?
  • What type of lawyer should you recruit?
  • Who should your first lawyer report to?

Download

Heidy's Jobs

See all jobs
  • Real estate (in-house)
  • Permanent

Real Estate Paralegal

Key Responsibilities: Draft, review, and revise real estate documents, including, but not limited to, purchase and sale agreements, leases, contracts, and easements. Prepare and manage closing documents for real estate transactions. Title and Survey Review: Conduct detailed reviews and analysis of title documents and surveys, identify potential issues, and prepare title objections and responses. Work […]
  • Posted Posted 7 days ago

Read more
  • Energy
  • Permanent

Director, Senior Counsel – Transactional

This role is tailored for an attorney with administrative and regulatory law experience in Texas, specifically with the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) and other state‑level utility regulatory bodies. In addition to regulatory expertise, strong transactional experience is non‑negotiable – including M&A, procurement contracting, commercial agreements, and governance work. Ideal Candidate Profile Texas regulatory […]
  • Posted Posted 7 days ago

Read more
  • Energy
  • Permanent

Senior Legal Counsel, Director

The ideal candidate is an experienced commercial litigator (6-10 years) who has handled complex, high‑exposure disputes, ideally within the energy sector. They bring a blend of litigation strategy, regulatory awareness, trial readiness, discovery leadership, and strong advisory skills. They should be comfortable operating in a public‑entity environment, managing outside counsel, and translating legal risk into […]
  • Posted Posted 7 days ago

Read more
  • FinTech
  • Permanent

Senior Legal Counsel

Senior Legal Counsel – Fintech Product, Regulatory, Commercial Location: Atlanta, GA (Hybrid, 3-4 days per week) About the Opportunity A fast-growing fintech company is seeking a Senior Legal Counsel to support its U.S. business. This is a broad, high-impact role supporting financial products, regulatory matters, product development, and commercial transactions within a collaborative and entrepreneurial […]
  • Salary Up to USD180000 per annum
  • Posted Posted 1 week ago

Read more
  • Asset management
  • Permanent

Employment Legal Director

Leading wealth manager looking to appoint an experienced Employment Legal Director to its EMEA Legal & Compliance team in London. In this role you will advise on all aspects of contentious, non-contentious and corporate employment law work in the EMEA region. Work will include employee relations such as grievances, performance management, disciplinaries, flexible working applications, […]
  • Salary Excellent benefits package
  • Posted Posted 1 week ago

Read more
  • Retail
  • Fixed term contract

Interim Legal Counsel – FMCG/Retail

A leading consumer brands business is seeking a commercially minded Legal Counsel to join its UK Legal team on a 12-month fixed-term contract commencing in September. This is a broad, business-facing role offering exposure to commercial contracts, marketing, advertising, consumer law, intellectual property, data protection and strategic business projects. Role overview · Join a well-established […]
  • Posted Posted 2 weeks ago

Read more

Featured Content

See all news
Two male colleagues discuss work at a laptop

How in-house legal teams in the US energy sector are adapting to regulatory complexity

  • Posted July 28, 2026
Contents Share Key insights Large-scale energy projects have always been complex.  What is changing is how early, and how extensively, legal teams are now involved in shaping whether those projects can move forward.  From permitting and environmental compliance to project finance, stakeholder management and major commercial agreements, in-house counsel recruitment is evolving as lawyers become involved much earlier […]
Businessman talking to colleagues in meeting

UK and Ireland in-house legal recruitment market update Q3

  • Posted July 13, 2026
Contents Key insights Corporate and commercial, London Banking and financial services, London Interim, London Regional UK Ireland Corporate and commercial, London Q2 saw confidence continue to build across the in-house legal market, although hiring remained measured and highly strategic. Businesses continue to navigate economic uncertainty, evolving regulation and rapid technological change, but there was greater […]
Professional female headshot in interview

How in-house legal recruitment is changing in Toronto

  • Posted July 8, 2026
Contents Share Key insights Toronto remains one of Canada’s most active legal hiring markets, but the conversation has shifted. The biggest challenge facing employers is no longer simply finding legal talent. It is understanding what experienced in-house lawyers want from their next role and adapting hiring strategies accordingly. Across Canada, legal teams are taking on […]