So far it seems it’s individuals at China Law Firms taking on social networking as their own initiative? rather than firm wide policy – be interesting to see if it takes off – some firms in China have more twitter followers than their US counterparts
?
Chinese Law Firms Get Social on Weibo, ‘China’s Twitter’
Ben Lewis All Articles
The Asian LawyerDecember 14, 2011
With Twitter and Facebook helping spread protest movements from the Arab Spring to Occupy Wall Street, it’s a fair bet the Chinese government won’t be unblocking these sites anytime soon. But China’s Great Firewall also means businesses in the region, including law firms, are missing out on the marketing revolution these so-called social media sites have wrought.
Or maybe not.
A number of China’s law firms are now on Sina Weibo, the country’s Twitter equivalent and its most popular social network. And, despite the government’s watchful eye, some have taken the use of social networking further than their counterparts in the West.
Take Beijing Yue Cheng Law Firm. The 135-lawyer full-service firm uses its Weibo page to post firm news and photos, but also receives users’ requests for legal advice on everything from medical malpractice to real estate rights.
And with over 15,000 followers, Yue Cheng is far more popular than even the most active U.S. firms on Twitter. DLA Piper, which was identified as one of the most prolific Tweeters among Am Law 100 firms in a recent article in sibling publication Law Technology News, currently has 5,429 followers on its Twitter feed.
“Almost all of our lawyers have Weibo accounts,” says a Yue Cheng spokeswoman. “All our lawyers’ accounts are interlinked so when they mention our law firm on their individual posts, our firm’s account gets tagged. Many of their Weibo profile pictures are that of the Yue Cheng Law Firm logo.”
She says that Yue Cheng Weibo “fans” have been known to show up at seminars and conventions where the firm’s lawyers are speaking.
None of these followers, who are usually seeking help with personal legal problems, has become a client. Still, the firm thinks it’s worth the effort. “It is important to show that our lawyers are up to date with the market and current affairs,” says the spokeswoman. “Weibo is a platform for our lawyers to voice their opinions about what is happening in China’s economy and legal market.”
Other Chinese law firms like Dacheng Law Offices (1,465 followers), Han Kun Law Offices (169 followers), and Grandall Law Firm (231 followers) have made similar moves on Weibo. All of them have pages, though Dacheng hasn’t posted anything since May — a risk identified by Jun He Law Offices partner Richard Yao. “My personal experience is, you will be addicted for the first few weeks, and then drop it,” Yao says.
Han Kun signed up in July after a partner spotted the potential to reach out to clients in a new way. “Some of our clients also have their own Weibo. We think if we post our news, we can help them to understand legal developments,” explains Nancy Huang, the firm’s marketing manager. Besides Han Kun’s deals and legal updates, the firm also republishes news articles from other websites, and posts announcements such as the launch of a new scholarship. Huang says she also finds it useful as a way to do her own research into legal developments. “Some of the users upload documents to Weibo that are usually very current,” she says.
Could the Chinese firms be joined by foreign firms? Multinational companies like The Coca-Cola Co. and Unilever PLC have already joined Weibo to connect with Chinese clients, and the network’s owner, Sina Corp., is planning both an English-language version and several new features aimed at attracting more businesses. Grace Chen, a Beijing partner at U.K. law firm Bird & Bird, says a Weibo account might be a means for her firm to demonstrate its tech savvy to Chinese clients. She recently returned from a partner meeting in Europe, where the firm’s social media strategy — including Asia — was on the agenda.
But the Chinese government’s sensitivity about social networks means the firm will have to exercise caution. Weibo isn’t banned like Twitter, but it is monitored for any content that the state deems objectionable. That doesn’t just apply to political dissent — the state cracks down on any “unfounded rumors,” and often interferes for reasons that are unclear.
“From the perspective of my work I probably feel I don’t want to be a pioneer here, particularly because of the political sensitivities,” says Chen, despite being “very impressed” with the Weibo platform. “There’s definitely a push [to use social media].”
Chen is well acquainted with the challenges: She has advised companies such as a sweepstake operator on how they can expand into social networks such as Weibo. One problem, she says, is that authorities aren’t always explicit about what they will allow. China has a host of related laws governing electronic bulletin boards, consumer rights and data protection. “We look to these rules for guidance on what you should and shouldn’t do,” she says.
Yao says that plenty of lawyers at Jun He use Weibo for personal purposes, but so far there is no firmwide account. As a medium, he feels it’s just too casual: “The potential readers we try to approach are still linked with traditional media,” he says. Yao doubts the social media network will develop to the extent that the firm would feel compelled to sign up.
But if enough of Jun He’s clients take to Weibo, says Yao, the firm may feel compelled to join them. “I think it’s going to be closely monitored both by us and the Chinese government,” he says. “But not for the same purpose!”
