Law & Order

Maarten Roos from the Class of 1995 talks about his journey from overcoming shyness at JIS to building his own law firm.

Can you provide a brief “elevator pitch” of R&P China Lawyers?

We are a Chinese law firm under foreign management that supports international companies with pragmatic and efficient legal solutions in China.

How and when did you first come up with the idea of establishing your law firm?

In 2009, I had been working for another law firm for seven years and they were going to make me partner — but I did not feel I could be a real partner. The differences were too big, and I felt their culture was not so strong. Everyone was doing his or her own thing, but there wasn’t a whole lot to work for. I wanted something different, and as I had enough clients and a small but dependable team, I thought I could establish my own firm.

What has been the most challenging part of running your own business?

Running a law firm is about many things, but the two most important are people (lawyers) and clients. I was never very worried about developing new clients. We are a niche player with a strong focus and proven capabilities, so business development (especially in the early days) was just about developing the network. But finding, developing, and (especially) keeping lawyers was a much bigger challenge. Especially in the first five years, as a small firm, it was very difficult to find new talent. And after a few years of learning how to be a lawyer, many left for bigger firms.

What has been the most exciting or surprising part of the journey so far?

For us, the most exciting part is always the projects: supporting our clients and helping them move forward. For example, we supported ALDI in establishing their strategy and setting up and expanding their business in China — they now have more than 60 stores in China. We were there from the beginning, and continue to be their preferred legal supplier, while normally, ALDI would go to a much bigger law firm.

Surprising – the success. I never imagined that we could grow this big and this successful. We now have 65 staff, two offices, and we make a very healthy profit.

How did your time at JIS support your venture?

Wow, that’s a tough one. All my experiences have made me who I am, and so have supported my choices and this venture. But if you want something specific: when I came to JIS (in 1993, at the start of Grade 11), I was quite shy and it took me a few months before I started to interact more with people. Later, I concluded that this was a waste of time — a valuable lesson that I have cherished since. I forced myself to become better at getting out of my comfort zone, and sooner rather than later. Maybe this gave me the confidence needed to start my own firm. I’m so happy I did so, and am grateful for my time at JIS for the invaluable lesson!

What was the last book you read?

Riviera Gold by Laura R. King. I am working through the whole Mary Russell series. The Game – set in India in the 1920s – is my favorite.

Who would be your ideal celebrity dinner date (dead, alive, or even fictional) and why? 

Anne Hathaway. I would like to convince her to play Mary Russell in my favorite book series.