Paul Weiss is set to close its Beijing office by the end of the year, becoming the latest in a series of major US law firms to scale back operations in China.
The New York-headquartered firm has had an office in Beijing since 1981, which marked its first office outside the US. The firm will continue to operate Asia offices in Hong Kong and Tokyo, which opened in 1983 and 1987 respectively.
‘We remain committed to having a strong presence across Asia, including in Hong Kong and Tokyo, and will continue to provide the highest-quality service to our clients in all of our global offices,’ a spokesperson for the firm said in a statement.
According to the firm’s website, the Beijing office currently has one partner, one counsel, and two associates. The Hong Kong office has eight lawyers, while the Tokyo office is staffed by ten lawyers.
Many other international law firms have been reducing their presence in China, citing geopolitical tensions, strict data privacy laws, and regulatory challenges. Just last month, WilmerHale closed its Beijing office following similar moves by Dechert, Morrison Foerster, Weil and Akin, all of which closed their Beijing offices in the past year.
Paul Weiss chair Brad Karp told Legal Business in October that the firm was ‘continuing to monitor Asia closely.’ While there has been speculation about a potential launch in Singapore, Karp confirmed that there are no current plans to open a new office in Asia.
The firm has been expanding internationally over the past year and a half, re-launching its London office and opening an office in Brussels. It now has 10 offices worldwide, including five in the US.
For more on Paul Weiss’ international strategy, see LB’s feature Late bloomer: how Paul Weiss made up for lost time on the global stage.
