GUIDE TO LIVING AND WORKING IN SHANGHAI

Introduction

Any lawyer with an interest in the Asian legal market will have read about the growth of the legal profession in Shanghai in recent years, about the expansion of international firms in the City and about the many opportunities for international lawyers there.

However, while this demand for foreign lawyers certainly exists, it is usually for practitioners with specific skill sets. Almost all jobs demand that applicants have fluent Mandarin language skills. International firms want lawyers with strong western experience and education, but also with plenty of China exposure. Candidates' legal backgrounds must be in one of relatively few key areas.

One reason for the existence of plenty of job opportunities is therefore the relative inability of firms to fill the vacancies they have. There is a shortage of good candidates with the necessary skills. Nevertheless, for those who are well qualified, Shanghai is very much a land of opportunity.

Law firms see the opportunity too and more international players continue to arrive in the Mainland's most exciting city with each passing month. The future looks extremely bright for Shanghai.

However, the resurgence of China's south eastern metropolis is not just about the legal profession, far from it in fact. It is a key centre for the country's remarkable economic development. As such, it is positively booming, a bright light in a World of relative economic gloom.

Geographically, Shanghai is divided by the Huangpu River. The new financial and industrial district of Pudong lies to the east and Shanghai proper, also known as Puxi, to the west. The majority of expatriates base themselves in Pudong, downtown Puxi or the older town's western suburbs. There is a wide variety of accommodation available.

By way of a simple comparison, Shanghai is generally a little cheaper than Hong Kong. However, it would be wrong to call it a cheap place to live. Nevertheless, salaries paid by most international law firms take this into account. Typically, they are slightly less than salaries paid to equivalent lawyers in Hong Kong.

The Shanghai traffic is usually extremely busy and even a short journey can take a long time to complete. Taxis are inexpensive, but not always easy to come by, particularly when it is raining and during rush hour. Nevertheless, buses are good and the subway system clean, efficient and safe.

Shanghai has long been famous for its nightlife, and although it suffered in the aftermath of the Communist revolution, it is now back up to speed. The selection of quality restaurants, trendy bars and busy nightclubs is more than enough to keep most night-owls happy.