CHINA

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

Published: May. 5, 2025 5:33 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 their China mainland operations, though many maintain offices in Hong Kong.
The number of foreign law firm offices in China dropped from 244 (2017) to 205 (2022), rebounded to 208 (2023), with 15 new approvals since 2023, including firms from the UK, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cyprus, and Mauritius.
While several U.S. firms retreated, some expanded in Asia, and more Southeast Asian firms are entering China, especially in Shenzhen and Hainan.

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Who’s Who

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP: Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP is a New York-based law firm that was among the first foreign 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 continues to operate 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 firms had teamed up in 2015 to meet growing legal demand. After the split, Dacheng updated its website to reflect its new independent status, but remains a preferred law firm for Dentons in China.

Beijing Dacheng Law Offices: Beijing Dacheng Law Offices previously had an eight-year alliance with Dentons, one of the world’s largest law firms, starting in 2015. In August 2023, this alliance ended. After the split, Dacheng updated its website to show its independent status but remains a preferred law firm in China for Dentons.

Mayer Brown LLP: In May 2024, Mayer Brown LLP restructured its Hong Kong operations, with its partner team reviving the historical name Johnson Stokes & Master (JSM) and separating from Mayer Brown’s international business. The two now operate under a temporary association set to end in late 2025. Mayer Brown will continue 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 restructuring in May 2024. The Hong Kong office separated from Mayer Brown’s international business and now operates under a temporary association, with the arrangement expected to end in late 2025.

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, including 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: According to the article, in September 2024, Loeb & Loeb LLP acquired 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.

Dorsey & Whitney LLP: Since 2021, the headcount at the Beijing office of Minneapolis-based Dorsey & Whitney LLP has more than doubled, indicating the firm's ongoing commitment to expanding its presence on the Chinese mainland despite many other foreign law firms scaling back or exiting the market.

Pinsent Masons LLP: According to the article, Pinsent Masons LLP is a British law firm that was approved to establish a representative office in China since 2023. This move is part of a broader trend where foreign law firms, including British and Southeast Asian firms, are entering the Chinese market, particularly in cities like Shenzhen and Hainan, to strengthen ties with local and regional clients.

Holman Fenwick & Willan LLP: According to the article, Holman Fenwick & Willan LLP is a British law firm that, since 2023, has been approved to establish a representative office in China. This move is part of a trend where several foreign law firms, including British and Southeast Asian firms, are expanding their presence on the Chinese mainland, even as some American firms scale back operations.

Rajah & Tann LLP: According to the article, Rajah & Tann LLP is a law firm from Singapore that has been approved to establish a representative office in China since 2023. This move is part of a broader trend of Southeast Asian firms expanding their presence in China, reflecting growing economic and business ties between China and Southeast Asia.

Allen & Gledhill LLP: According to the article, Allen & Gledhill LLP is a law firm from Singapore that has been approved since 2023 by China’s Ministry of Justice to establish a representative office in the country. This move reflects the increasing presence of Southeast Asian law firms in China, positioning themselves to better serve Chinese companies investing and operating in the region.

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