Herbert Smith Freehills has added to its existing support centres in Belfast, Northern Ireland and Perth, Australia, with the launch of its first “alternative legal services hub” in Shanghai, China. It is believed to be the first Western firm to open one in the country.

The China hub has been set up in the firm’s Shanghai office and comprises of a 13-member team of lawyers and legal analysts. As in its other support centres, the hub will process high-volume or document-intensive work, supporting the firm’s existing Greater China offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, as well as internationally.

Last year, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer launched a services hub in Manchester, U.K., and is in talks to open a second global legal services centre in Vancouver, Canada by the end of this year.

Similarly, Hogan Lovells opened low-cost legal centres in Johannesburg, South Africa, and Birmingham, U.K., in 2014 and is now headed to open one back office in Louisville, Kentucky. Among other firms that have low-cost legal centres are Latham & Watkins (Manchester) and Allen & Overy (Belfast).