Biglaw corporations proceed to shutter their places of work in China. Right now, we now have information on the sixth giant regulation agency to shut the doorways of a Chinese language workplace in 2025.
As famous by the American Lawyer, Seyfarth Shaw — a agency that introduced in $931,927,000 gross income in 2024, placing it at No. 61 on the newest Am Legislation 100 — plans to close down its Shanghai workplace, which it first launched in 2013. The agency plans to retain its Hong Kong workplace, which can develop into its solely presence in Asia. A agency spokesperson issued the next assertion:
“As a part of our ongoing strategic evaluation to make sure we’re finest positioned to serve our purchasers globally, we now have made the choice to shut our Shanghai workplace later this 12 months. We stay dedicated to supporting our purchasers with wants in Mainland China and can achieve this by consolidating our presence and refocusing our sources in our Hong Kong workplace. We stay up for persevering with to offer the revolutionary options our purchasers have to navigate the area’s dynamic and evolving panorama.”
This can be a milestone workplace closure, as a result of it marks the twentieth U.S.-based agency to have shut down a number of places of work in mainland China for the reason that exodus started in 2024.
Which Biglaw agency would be the subsequent say zàijiàn to its places of work in China? You’ll be able to email us or textual content us (646-820-8477) you probably have any intel. Thanks.
Seyfarth Closes Doors in Shanghai, Retains Office in Hong Kong [American Lawyer]

Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Legislation, the place she’s labored since 2011. She’d love to listen to from you, so please be at liberty to email her with any suggestions, questions, feedback, or critiques. You’ll be able to comply with her on Bluesky, X/Twitter, and Threads, or join together with her on LinkedIn.