In what is just the second international alliance undertaken by the UK firm, the non-exclusive tie-up will likely see Bird & Bird use Xiang Kung for all contentious IP matters. 

Earlier this year it entered into an association with Singapore firm Alban Tay Mahtani & de Silva.

Bird has grown massively over the past few years via office launches, The Lawyer reports. 

Bird & Bird’s China head, Matthew Laight, said the firm had formed the Chinese alliance after regularly using Xiang Kung for contentious matters.