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 at the tippy top of the Am Law 100.
As first reported by Law.com International, Weil Gotshal has already closed its Beijing office and is thinking about calling it quits on its Shanghai office as well. Here are some additional details:
According to an administration staff member who works in Weil’s Hong Kong office, the firm ceased operations in Beijing late last year. In Beijing, the firm didn’t have any resident partners and its office closure meant that its two lawyers, one counsel and one associate, were let go. Weil launched that office in 2008.
A spokesperson from Weil offered the following statement on the firm’s proposed closure of its Shanghai office, which was first opened in 2004: “The firm is engaged in discussions on the office in Shanghai with a view to consolidating its Asia operations through the Hong Kong office. We will be working out the details in the coming months, but we remain dedicated to our award-winning Asia practice and to providing top service to our clients in the region.”
Weil’s Shanghai office is home to two partners and five other attorneys, while its Hong Kong office has 22 lawyers, including five partners. The firm reportedly declined to comment on alternative employment arrangements for its Shanghai lawyers, should the office be closed.
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.
Weil Gotshal Shutters Beijing and Mulls Shanghai Closure [Law.com International]
Staci 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 Twitter and Threads or connect with her on LinkedIn.
