CHINA

Chart of the Day: The Law Firms Leaving the Chinese Mainland

Published: May. 5, 2025 5:32 p.m. GMT+8

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Since 2023, more than a dozen well-known foreign law firms, most of them American, have scaled back operations or exited completely from the Chinese mainland, according to incomplete data compiled by Caixin.

Rather than withdrawing completely, many U.S. firms have closed offices in Beijing or Shanghai while keeping operations in Hong Kong and consolidating their businesses.

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Since 2023, over a dozen major foreign law firms, mostly American, have reduced or exited mainland China operations, though many keep Hong Kong offices; the number of representative offices fell from 244 in 2017 to 205 in 2022, rebounding slightly to 208 in 2023.
Some firms, like Loeb & Loeb and Dorsey & Whitney, are expanding their presence in China, while Southeast Asian, British, and other new firms are entering the market, especially in Shenzhen and Hainan.
Industry insiders attribute these shifts to factors beyond geopolitics, with increasing China-Southeast Asia business ties influencing new entrants’ decisions.

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Who’s Who

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP: Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, a New York-based law firm, was among the first foreign law firms to enter China, opening a Beijing office in 1981. The firm closed its Beijing office at the end of 2024, leaving it without a mainland presence, but it still maintains an office in Hong Kong.

Dentons: Dentons, one of the world’s largest law firms, ended its eight-year alliance with Beijing Dacheng Law Offices in August 2023. The partnership began in 2015 to meet growing legal demand. After the split, Dacheng updated its website to reflect its independent status but remains a preferred law firm for Dentons in China.

Beijing Dacheng Law Offices: Beijing Dacheng Law Offices was in an eight-year alliance with global law firm Dentons, which ended in August 2023. After the split, Dacheng updated its website to show its independent status but remains a preferred law firm for Dentons in China.

Mayer Brown LLP: In May 2024, Chicago-based Mayer Brown LLP restructured its Hong Kong operations, with its partner team reviving the historical name Johnson Stokes & Master (JSM) and separating from the firm's international business. The two sides now operate under a temporary association, expected to end in late 2025. Mayer Brown continues to operate in Hong Kong through a new partnership focused on international and Asia strategies.

Johnson Stokes & Master (JSM): Johnson Stokes & Master (JSM) is the historical name revived by the partner team of Mayer Brown LLP’s Hong Kong office after its restructuring in May 2024. Following the separation from Mayer Brown’s international business, JSM and Mayer Brown now operate under a temporary association expected to end in late 2025, with Mayer Brown continuing its Asia-focused operations through a new partnership.

Loeb & Loeb LLP: In September 2024, Los Angeles-based Loeb & Loeb LLP expanded its presence in China by acquiring a 17-member Beijing-based team of lawyers, paralegals, and intellectual property specialists from Seattle-based Perkins Coie LLP, along with Perkins Coie’s intellectual property agency in Beijing.

Perkins Coie LLP: Perkins Coie LLP, a Seattle-based law firm, saw its Beijing-based team of 17 lawyers, paralegals, and intellectual property specialists acquired by Los Angeles-based Loeb & Loeb LLP in September 2024. This acquisition included Perkins Coie’s intellectual property agency in Beijing.

Dorsey & Whitney LLP: Since 2021, the headcount at the Beijing office of Minneapolis-based Dorsey & Whitney LLP has more than doubled, indicating the firm is expanding its presence in China while other foreign law firms are scaling back operations on the mainland.

Pinsent Masons LLP: According to the article, Pinsent Masons LLP is a British law firm that has been approved since 2023 to establish a representative office in China. This is part of a trend where several foreign law firms, including those from the UK and Southeast Asia, are entering the Chinese market despite some major U.S. firms scaling back their mainland operations.

Holman Fenwick & Willan LLP: According to the article, Holman Fenwick & Willan LLP is a British law firm that was approved to establish a representative office in China since 2023. The firm is among 15 foreign law firms, including others from the UK and Southeast Asia, that have recently set up offices in the country, reflecting growing economic ties and legal needs in the Chinese market.

Rajah & Tann LLP: According to the article, Rajah & Tann LLP is a law firm from Singapore. Since 2023, it has been approved by China’s Ministry of Justice to establish a representative office in the country, reflecting the growing presence of Southeast Asian law firms in China as business ties between the regions deepen.

Allen & Gledhill LLP: According to the article, Allen & Gledhill LLP is a Singapore-based law firm that, since 2023, has been approved by China’s Ministry of Justice to establish a representative office in the country. This move reflects the growing economic and business ties between China and Southeast Asia, as Southeast Asian firms position themselves closer to Chinese clients operating in the region.

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