Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe, joining the ranks of several American law firms, has recently shut down its Taipei Office, and is in the process of winding down its operations in Shanghai. According to a statement made by an Orrick spokesperson to Law.com International, these steps are part of a larger initiative to “rebalance the firm’s Asia Pacific platform.” The firm is specifically aiming to align their operations with the changing client demand, as reflected by the launch of its Singapore office last year.
There has been a trend of many global law firms scaling back their footprints in Asia, particularly in the Greater China region. Over the past year, this has impacted a number of reputed law firms including Latham & Watkins, Perkins Coie, Proskauer Rose, and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, which have all had to close their offices in mainland China. This highlights a significant downturn in the Asian market, leading numerous international firms to reassess their operations in the region.