Jakarta-based ARMA Law and Xiamen-based Fidelity Law Firm have entered into a strategic partnership with representatives signing an agreement on 18 July, capitalising on legal work in multiple practice areas driven by increasing investment flows between Indonesia and China.
“Our goal is to expand our client base, explore new markets and enhance our services in key practice areas such as investment and M&A,” ARMA Law managing partner Dewi Arum told Asia Business Law Journal.
Arum has observed a growing trend in M&A, joint ventures and strategic investments across various sectors, with an emphasis on manufacturing, mining, renewable energy and logistics between Indonesian and Chinese enterprises. She added that clients were increasingly seeking expert guidance on regulatory compliance, investment strategies and risk management in cross-border transactions.
Arum added that commercial disputes in cross-border transactions were becoming more prevalent, with arbitration being established as the preferred method for efficiently and effectively resolving international conflicts.
“This trend underscores the increasing importance of dispute resolution expertise, especially through arbitration, as a vital component of comprehensive cross-border advisory services. Indonesian clients have primarily been seeking advice on matters such as compliance with international trade laws, dispute resolution and corporate restructuring,” said Arum.
Similarly, Fidelity Law Firm’s director, senior partner and founder, Wang Ping, has observed a growing number of Chinese investors in Indonesia, and both parties have recognised the prospects of strengthening co-operation. Wang, whose firm has been working with ARMA Law since 2023, told ABLJ that the active flow of investment between investors of the two countries served as a foundation leading to both firms’ decision to pursue deeper collaboration.
“Indonesia is a highly important market (to our domestic Chinese clients). Unofficial data indicates that among Chinese investors in Indonesia, those from Fujian province account for the most. Chinese investors are active across a wide range of sectors, with a primary focus on energy, infrastructure development, engineering, retail and supply chains,” said Wang.
Arum also notes that Fidelity Law Firm’s headquarters is located in Xiamen, Fujian province, a city with deep-rooted historical and cultural ties to Indonesia, particularly among the Indonesian Chinese community. This shared heritage further strengthened this partnership and enhanced the firm’s ability to provide culturally aware and comprehensive legal support, said Arum.
Arum said their Chinese clients often required counsel on market entry strategies and partnership formations. Additionally, disputes in cross-border transactions had become increasingly common, and clients seek expert guidance on effectively managing and resolving these conflicts, said Arum.
At this stage, specific arrangements regarding whether a representative from ARMA Law would be sent to Fidelity Law Firm, or vice versa, were still under discussion, said Arum. She added decisions about establishing a presence or desk in China had yet to be finalised.
However, Wang told ABLJ that there was a personnel dispatch mechanism under the partnership, and both firms would mutually send staff to each other’s offices.
Fidelity Law Firm, established in 1989, has more than 400 licensed lawyers and is headquartered in Xiamen. It has 15 offices across mainland China, including the Fujian Fidelity Law Firm Hogan Lovells International (Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone) Associated Office.
Founded in 2019, ARMA Law currently has five partners, two of counsels and 12 associates. Headquartered in Jakarta, the firm’s core strengths are corporate law, shipping and employment, with its lawyers advising on a range of practice areas, including ESG and climate change as well as banking and finance.
