The
first
month
of
the
new
year
is
nearly
over,
but
it
was
just
enough
time
for
another
Biglaw
firm
to
shut
down
an
office
in
China.
This
is
the
second
large
law
firm
to
close
the
doors
of
a
Chinese
office
in
2025.
As
noted
by
the
American
Lawyer,
Morgan
Lewis
&
Bockius
has
shut
down
its
Shenzhen
office,
which
was
first
opened
less
than
two
years
ago.
Morgan
Lewis
now
becomes
the
16th
U.S.
firm
to
shutter
an
office
in
mainland
China
since
the
exodus
began
in
2024.
It
seems
that
the
firm’s
office
leader
lateraled
to
DLA
Piper
back
in
November,
and
unable
to
fill
his
shoes,
Morgan
Lewis
decided
to
shutter
the
office.
Am
Law
has
additional
details:
Morgan
Lewis
confirmed
the
office
closure.
“We
parted
ways
with
our
only
two
lawyers
in
Shenzhen
and
reestablished
our
China-based
intellectual
property
practice
in
our
Shanghai
office,
where
it
was
initially
established
in
2017,”
Lesli
Ligorner,
[of]
Morgan
Lewis’
Shanghai
office
said.
…“Our
combined
Beijing,
Hong
Kong,
and
Shanghai
offices
provide
corporate,
capital
markets,
corporate
investigations,
investment
management,
employment,
litigation,
and
intellectual
property
services
to
firm
clients
through
almost
70
lawyers,
supported
by
46
professional
staff,
including
our
October
2024
addition
of
Bingna
Guo
in
Beijing,”
Ligorner
said.
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.
Morgan
Lewis
Closes
Shenzhen
Office
After
Less
Than
Two
Years
[American
Lawyer]
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
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on LinkedIn.