Biglaw

Top Biglaw Firm Plans To Break Away From Its 170-Lawyer Offices In Greater China

The Biglaw firm will still have a presence in China, but to a much smaller degree.

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Biglaw firms are eager to get out of China while the getting is still good — or at the very least, consolidate their offerings there — and the latest firm to do so is near the top of the Am Law 100.

As first reported by Law.com International, Mayer Brown plans to step away from its Greater China offices, where the firm has about 170 lawyers in Hong Kong, Beijing, and Shanghai to adopt a smaller presence in the area. Here are some additional details:

The U.S.-based firm is set to retain a smaller office in Hong Kong, one lawyer said, with the majority of the Hong Kong staff moving to a separate independent Hong Kong law firm managed by current Mayer Brown partners.

The exact configuration of both firms when they split is unclear at this time, the sources said, as is the leadership each firm going forward. What is clear, however, is that Mayer Brown will no longer operate the existing offices in Beijing and Shanghai, the sources added.

According to one of Law.com International’s sources, Mayer Brown’s decision to decrease the number of lawyers it has in Greater China likely has to do with “a prolonged market downturn, serious data security risks and the fractious U.S.-China relationship.”

Which Biglaw firm will be the next say zàijiàn to its offices in China? You can email us or text us (646-820-8477) if you have any intel. Thank you.

Mayer Brown Set to Split With 170-Lawyer Greater China Offices [Law.com International]

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Staci ZaretskyStaci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on X/Twitter and Threads or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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