2024年中国法律市场不容忽视的现象之一，无疑是英美律所较大规模关闭中国内地办公室或削减内地律师人数，上述调整导致市场出现新的空当，也给中国律所提供了吸纳国际背景人才的机会。

实际上，受到新冠疫情等因素影响，2020年起，国际律师事务所就开始对其中国运营进行调整。这首先体现在香港市场——彼时多家国际所先后宣布关闭香港办公室，随后零散扩展到内地。

2023年底，瑞生、艾金·岗波关闭上海、北京办公室的消息给市场带来不小震动，然而令人始料未及的是，这一趋势在随后一年迅速蔓延。根据ALB的数据，2024年，共有13家英美律所关闭了中国内地办公室，或者进行了大幅裁员，其中不乏宝维斯、美邦、凯易、世达、奥睿、盛德等颇具影响力的顶尖律所。

英美律所的收缩无疑给法律市场留出新的空当，那些曾经由国际所律师承担的跨境交易开始越来越多由中国律师主导；与此同时，上述调整也迫使国际所律师重新审视未来的职业选择——其中之一便是转而进入中国律所。

中国律所告诉ALB，上述市场变化为他们吸纳国际背景人才提供了前所未有的机遇，但其实，伴随中国客户法律需求复杂程度、跨境程度不断提升，积极聘用拥有国际所工作背景的律师已经成为了中国所的长期人才策略之一。

汉坤指出，其人才策略一直是汇聚各个业务领域最优秀的律师服务于客户。汉坤目前的合伙人中，有40%来自外部吸纳，“包括大量来自国际顶尖律所的合伙人”。自2020年以来，汉坤从外部吸纳的合伙人超过50位，来自凯易、众达、盛信、科文顿柏灵、安理等国际律师事务所的合伙人超过20位，达到外部引进合伙人的一半人数，专业和行业领域也全面覆盖跨境并购、PE、境外投资、生物医药、能源和新能源、美国资本市场。

“近几年来这一趋势愈发明显。国际律所，特别是美国律所在中国业务战略的调整，使得其中有中国背景的中坚力量开始思考长期发展方向问题；再加上中国律所在这些年不断成长、加强自身综合实力，成为了他们的首选方向之一。”汉坤说。汉坤这几年果断、迅速的全球化布局也进一步增加了对国际律所人才的吸引力。

海问律师事务所也有着类似的动向。自2020年以来，海问已经吸纳了约10位曾在国际律所多年任职合伙人的律师，“这其中有我们主动的布局，也有市场变化带来的求之不得的人才吸纳机会”。

与此同时，这也和海问一以贯之的律所基因、人才策略相吻合。“对于海问来说，吸纳国际化人才向来是件比较自然的事情：例如海问的创始合伙人是在境外开始执业后为了共同参与建设和发展中国的证券市场创办了海问，海问多数合伙人有境外法律学习或国际律所的从业背景；且海问的业务本身有较高的国际化成分，跨境事项占据了相当的比例。此外，2017年海问开设香港办公室时，陆续吸纳了多位过往曾经在瑞生、高伟绅、宝维斯等一流国际律所工作的香港法律专家作为合伙人加入，显著提高了人才构成的国际化和专业化程度。”

业务考量下的选择

海问对于吸纳国际化人才保持开放态度，但过程却是审慎的，其背后贯穿的主题始终是“专业化”和“一体化”，即基于法律法规的变化、客户需求和跨境项目日益复杂化的趋势，持续引入强专业化人才，融入海问一体化的平台，更加走进客户，得到互相支撑和持续长足发展。

例如2022年，海问引入了前摩根路易斯合伙人苏浩律师，苏律师是做海外投资、一带一路和能源项目的法律专家，长期从事中国能源企业出海、项目开发业务；过去两年，则又有来自年利达中国联营所昭胜的刘坚中律师、黄贲然律师加入，他们主要从事中资企业的跨境投资业务——这些合伙人的加入都回应了中国企业的需求以及项目加速国际化的市场趋势。

另一个思路则是依托海问的一体化制度引入一些专业门槛较高的特色领域合伙人，例如去年加入海问的仇浩然律师、申博亚律师是业内重量级的银团贷款和项目融资领域专家，此前长期在Mayer Brown JSM和伟凯从业，客户认可度很高。 “海问传统上做的是交易律师，但过去几年，越来越多项目开始需要融资安排，包括我们参与的一些私募基金作为赞助人的控制权项目或者中资企业出海项目，于是我们考虑补强这一领域。市场上做银团贷款和项目融资的律师圈子不大，两位律师加入后，很快和海问原有的合伙人、业务产生了很好的协同效应，提升了我们的整体实力和客户满意度。”从这个角度，近年加入海问的出口管制和制裁领域的专家袁帅琦律师也是一个非常好的例子。

汉坤也告诉ALB，在考虑引入原国际所合伙人时，“更多关注的是围绕客户的需求布局，以及未来业务的发展趋势”。

一方面，“随着部分国际大所在中国战略的调整，我们可以承接原来由国际律所为主导，但现在逐步调整或退出的一些领域，包括境外IPO、跨境并购、海外投资、并购融资等的境外律师服务。引进原来在外所主要担当这些业务的骨干律师，可以实现客户、业务、团队全方位融合的整体目标，进一步提高综合业务能力以及服务水平”，汉坤说。

另一方面，还要考虑新引入合伙人的业务领域能否短时间内与现有业务团队高度融合衔接，“比如在为大型国际私募基金服务时，除了并购团队主要负责交易执行，并购融资、资本市场、合规、税务、知识产权、劳动、争议解决团队会一并跟上，在交易团队的总体协调下提供全方位、一体化的无缝对接服务”。

带来多重益处

快速提升或构建专业能力之外，国际所背景律师的加入在律所管理和发展层面也带来不少益处。

海问香港办公室的发展可以作为一个例子。“海问香港的业务结构比较合理，有公开及非公开市场投资并购、美元基金业务、资本市场、争议解决和娱乐法业务。 通过在2023年引入来自史密夫斐尔的合伙人邹兆麟、王重、陈敏律师等，加强了海问在资本市场领域的传统优势，因为我们判断，在A股、美股目前的变化局势下，未来港股还会是中国企业资本市场运作的关注重点”，该所介绍道。

此外，2022年还有来自英国希德律师行的争议解决专家刘洋律师加入，“这和我们持续补全香港办公室专业结构的考量有关：受市场变化影响，中资机构在海外——尤其香港被清盘、追债、牵扯进跨境案件和股权投后回购纠纷的情况越来越多”。

“经过几年努力，海问香港目前拥有了健康的业务结构和较强的综合实力，合伙人的业务扎实且互补，能够一定程度应对市场的变化周期。”海问总结道。

汉坤则告诉ALB，来自国际大所的合伙人积累了多年的客户服务及业务经验，特别是经办大型跨境业务和英文文件起草、谈判的宝贵经验，会鼓励他们为所内律师提供实务培训。例如2021年加入、前盛信合伙人罗绍林律师，“在疫情期间为全所律师开展了三十多课时、近一年的并购业务培训，对由早期投资、少数股权投资为主的交易业务向后期投资、控股类交易业务的转向打下了良好基础”。

此外，2023年汉坤加快国际布局，设立新加坡、纽约办公室，以及陆续加入的国际合伙人林邦、王宇等强化了汉坤在国际市场的业务布局。

“他们不仅能从前线洞察客户需求，还能将各地区办公室的资源整合，为全球客户提供无缝对接的法律服务。”汉坤说，“从管理层面，他们在协调国内与国际团队协作、推动知识共享以及制定区域化发展战略中扮演关键角色，为汉坤的全球化扩展奠定了坚实基础。”

当然，国际所背景合伙人的加入也会带来挑战，文化磨合是比较突出的一点。海问告诉ALB，从国际律所转而加盟内资律所意味着非常大的职业转变，中资律所和有意加入的律师需要在前期进行充分、坦诚的沟通。

“海问在引入国际律所背景合伙人时，本着对律所、对客户，也对新加入的未来合伙人负责的态度。我们希望未来合伙人能够真正理解中国所的业务运作模式、中国客户与律师的沟通方式、中国客户对法律服务的期待等等，在此基础上做出选择。海问的特点在于内部采取了高度交融的一体化作业方式，彼此的深入了解和认可是非常重要的。同时，新加入的国际背景的合伙人对于律所的管理运营和专业服务提出的建议也对于律所发展起到了很大的推动作用，这对于律所而言是另外一个角度的机遇。” 海问分享道。

汉坤也指出，招募合伙人的过程中，核心价值观的认可——即“团队协作、客户至上、卓越服务、以人为本的共同理念，建立统一的文化认同感”——至关重要。

在此基础上，“汉坤对独特的个性与见解都报以欢迎与开放的态度，并采纳在“三观一致、文化认同、积极投入”基础之上包容性管理的理念。国际律所背景的合伙人可能带来不同的工作方式和文化习惯，我们将此视为团队多样性和创新力的来源”。

国际所下一步发展趋势

除了“转道”中国律所，也有一部分合伙人选择就职于其他国际律所，这为希望持续扩大中国业务的国际所提供了发展机会。

罗夏信律师事务所是其中的典型代表：过去两年，多位律师在原所出现调整后选择加入罗夏信，例如任勇律师在普洛思关闭北京办公室后加盟；何保罗律师在英士于英国经历破产风波后加入；昃杰律师则在安睿顺德伦关闭北京办公室后加盟了罗夏信伦敦办公室。

谈及其后贯穿的人才策略，罗夏信大中华地区管理合伙人郭懿聆律师、罗夏信联营伟途律师事务所管理合伙人周红律师告诉ALB：“罗夏信有着雄心勃勃的增长策略，计划到2027年4月实现全球营收翻倍至4亿英镑。因此在大中华地区，我们总在寻找有天赋、有雄心、有商业头脑的律师。”

谈到国际所未来在中国市场的发展思路，郭律师、周律师表示，保持灵活的策略十分重要。以罗夏信为例，其1979年便率先在香港开设了第一家国际办公室，随后也在广州、北京做了尝试，但在律所战略调整的背景下选择了及时关闭两家办公室。

2016年，罗夏信选择和伟途展开联营，以更适合的方式支持中国业务发展和客户需求。就在2024年初，伟途刚刚设立了新的上海办公室，“确保我们在客户需要的地方布局最合适的人才”。

郭律师、周律师坦言，她们注意到了一众美国律所选择了关闭中国内地办公室，“国际律所的运营环境确实在不断演变。对于我们来说，想要在中国保持并增长市场份额，最重要的是要重视发展本地人才——他们才拥有服务本地客户的技术和语言”。

Zeughauser集团法律咨询专家Peter Zeughauser认为，过去两年国际律所在中国市场的调整其实是双方不断“适配”的过程。“对大多数律所来说，中国内地办公室的市场意义一直大于营收意义。”而在国际律所对中国未来发展的预期调整、本身运营压力增加的背景下，他们需要重新审视需求和存在之间的关系。

“未来国际律所肯定还有业务可做——客户需要他们在中国提供帮助。不过，国际所再不能单打独斗了，他们需要寻求中国律所伙伴的帮助。”Zeughauser说。

宏观经济变化、国家安全考量、国际贸易问题等都意味着客户愈发需要相关法律服务。伴随特朗普将于2025年1月回归白宫，“关税提升一定会产生贸易相关法律需求；国家安全考量则会引发科技相关需求增长；调查、合规等领域也很热门”。

此外，Zeughauser也提醒：“未来情况发生变化，国际律所也并非不会重回中国市场——而情况一定会发生变化。21世纪是属于中国的世纪，而我们刚刚经历了第二个十年而已。”

Turning Of The Tide

One of the most notable trends in China’s legal market in 2024 has been the noticeable withdrawal of international law firms, marked by office closures or significant reductions in mainland-based legal staff. These adjustments have created new gaps in the market while offering Chinese law firms opportunities to attract internationally experienced talent.

Since 2020, impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors, international law firms have already been reevaluating their operations in China. The shift initially centred on Hong Kong, where several firms announced office closures, before gradually extending to mainland China.

At the end of 2023, the closures of Latham & Watkins’ Shanghai office and Akin Gump’s Beijing office sent shockwaves through the market. However, few anticipated how rapidly this trend would escalate in the following year. According to data from ALB, 2024 saw 13 U.S. and U.K. law firms either shutter their mainland offices or implement significant layoffs. Among them were prominent names like Paul Weiss, Milbank, Kirkland, Skadden, Orrick, and Sidley Austin.

The retreat of these international firms has undoubtedly resulted in a reshaping of the legal market. Cross-border transactions once dominated by lawyers from global firms are increasingly being led by Chinese attorneys. Simultaneously, the adjustments have prompted international lawyers to reconsider their career paths — many now look to join Chinese law firms. 

And Chinese firms have identified this shift as a rare opportunity to recruit internationally experienced talent. However, this is not merely a reactive measure. As client demands for complex and cross-border legal services grow, hiring lawyers with international firm backgrounds has become a long-term strategy for many Chinese firms.

Han Kun’s talent strategy focuses on attracting top lawyers across practice areas. Currently, 40 percent of its partners are lateral hires, including over 20 since 2020 from leading global firms like Kirkland, Jones Day, Simpson Thacher, Covington, and Allen & Overy. These hires strengthen the firm’s expertise in areas such as cross-border M&A, private equity, biopharma, energy, and U.S. capital markets.

“In recent years, adjustments by international firms, especially U.S. firms, in their China strategies have prompted many Chinese lawyers to reconsider their career paths,” Han Kun states. “The growth of Chinese firms has made them a top choice.” Han Kun’s swift global expansion has further boosted its appeal to international talent.

Haiwen & Partners has taken a similar approach. Since 2020, the firm has added around 10 lawyers who previously served as partners at leading international firms. “This reflects both our proactive planning and the opportunity to attract outstanding talent amid shifting market dynamics,” the firm notes.

This also aligns with Haiwen’s DNA and talent strategy. “At Haiwen, bringing in internationally experienced lawyers has always been a natural fit,” the firm explains. “For example, our founding partners established Haiwen after practicing overseas, and many of our current partners have studied law abroad or worked at international firms. Moreover, cross-border transactions form a significant part of our practice. In 2017, we launched our Hong Kong office and brought in Hong Kong legal experts with backgrounds at leading international firms such as Latham, Clifford Chance, and Paul Weiss. This further elevated the firm’s level of internationalization and specialization.”

Strategic Choices

Haiwen remains open to hiring international talent but approaches the process with deliberate caution. The guiding principles are “professional specialization” and “integration,” ensuring new hires address evolving regulations, client needs, and the increasing complexity of cross-border projects while seamlessly fitting into Haiwen’s integrated platform. 

For example, in 2022, Haiwen brought on Su Hao, a former partner at Morgan Lewis. Su is a legal expert in outbound investment, Belt and Road projects, and energy ventures, with extensive experience assisting Chinese energy enterprises in international expansion and project development. Over the past two years, Haiwen also added Eric Liu and Huang Benran from Linklaters’ joint operation firm Zhao Sheng. Both specialize in cross-border investment for Chinese companies, reflecting the growing market demand for internationalized legal expertise.

Another approach leverages Haiwen’s integrated structure to recruit partners in niche fields. Last year, Haiwen welcomed Hallam Chow and Shen Boya, industry leaders in syndicated loans and project finance, previously with Mayer Brown JSM. “Haiwen traditionally focused on transaction counsel work, but in recent years, more projects have required financing solutions. This includes private equity deals sponsored by Chinese firms and outbound projects by Chinese enterprises. The project finance lawyer circle is small, but after joining Haiwen, these two partners quickly developed strong synergies with our existing teams, significantly boosting our overall capabilities and client satisfaction.” A similar example is Yuan Shuaiqi, an expert in export controls and sanctions, who also joined Haiwen recently.

Han Kun also tells ALB that lateral hires from international firms are evaluated based on client needs and future business trends.

“With international firms adjusting their China strategies, we can step into areas like overseas IPOs, cross-border M&A, outbound investments, and acquisition financing. Bringing in key lawyers from these firms allows us to integrate clients, services, and teams, enhancing our capabilities and service quality,” says Han Kun.

The firm also ensures new partners can quickly align with existing teams. "For instance, when serving large international private equity funds, our M&A team leads the transaction execution, while our financing, capital markets, compliance, tax, IP, labor, and dispute resolution teams collaborate under unified coordination, delivering comprehensive and seamless services."

Multifaceted Benefits

Beyond enhancing professional capabilities, the integration of lawyers with international firm backgrounds offers significant advantages in law firm management and development.

Haiwen highlights the development of its Hong Kong office as a prime example of its strategic growth. “The Hong Kong office has a well-balanced practice structure, including public and private market investments and M&A, USD fund services, capital markets, dispute resolution, and entertainment law. In 2023, we brought in Tom Chau, Wang Zhong, and Isaac Chen from Herbert Smith to strengthen our traditional expertise in capital markets. We believe that, given the shifting dynamics of A-shares and U.S. listings, Hong Kong will remain a key focus for Chinese enterprises’ capital markets operations,” the firm explains.

In addition, Edward Liu, a dispute resolution expert from Hill Dickinson, joined Haiwen in 2022. “This reflects our continued efforts to enhance the Hong Kong office’s professional structure. Thanks to years of effort, the Hong Kong office now boasts a healthy practice structure and strong comprehensive capabilities,” the firm concludes.

Han Kun tells ALB that partners from international firms bring valuable expertise in cross-border transactions and client service, including English drafting and negotiation. For example, Luo Shaolin, an ex-STB partner who joined Han Kun in 2021, conducted extensive M&A training during the pandemic, supporting the firm’s shift to later-stage and control transactions.

In 2023, Han Kun expanded globally with new offices in Singapore and New York, and international partners like Steve Lin and Wang Yu further strengthened its global presence.

“These partners provide insights into client needs, integrate resources across offices, and play key roles in team coordination, knowledge sharing, and regional strategy, driving Han Kun’s global growth,” the firm says.

The inclusion of partners with international firm backgrounds brings its own challenges, with cultural integration being a key concern. Haiwen tells ALB that transitioning from an international to a domestic law firm represents a significant career shift, requiring both the firm and prospective partners to engage in thorough and honest communication early in the process.

“When we bring in partners from international firms, we do so with a strong sense of responsibility—to the firm, our clients, and the incoming partners themselves. We want future partners to fully understand the operational model of Chinese law firms, the communication style between Chinese clients and lawyers, and the expectations Chinese clients have for legal services. Only on that foundation can they make an informed decision,” Haiwen explains. 

A hallmark of Haiwen is its highly integrated internal working model, which relies on deep mutual understanding and alignment among team members. At the same time, the firm notes that suggestions from new partners with international backgrounds regarding management practices and professional services have been instrumental in driving the firm’s growth. “This perspective offers a unique opportunity for us to evolve further,” Haiwen adds.

Han Kun similarly stressed that shared values—teamwork, client-first service, excellence, and a people-oriented approach—are key in partner recruitment to ensure cultural alignment.

“At the same time, we welcome individuality and unique perspectives, adopting an inclusive management approach based on aligned values, cultural recognition, and active engagement. Partners from international firms may bring different working styles and cultural habits, which we view as a source of diversity and innovation for the team,” the firm states.

Next Steps for International Firms

Amidst the flux in the Chinese legal market, some international law firm partners have opted to join other international firms, presenting growth opportunities for firms looking to expand their China-related business.

Stephenson Harwood has emerged as a notable example. Over the past two years, several lawyers joined the firm following changes at their previous employers. Ren Yong joined after Proskauer Rose closed its Beijing office, Paul Ho transitioned after Ince’s bankruptcy scandal in the U.K., and Jay Ze moved to Stephenson Harwood’s London office after Eversheds Sutherland closed its Beijing branch.

Discussing this talent strategy, Evangeline Quek, Stephenson Harwood’s Greater China office managing partner, and Zoe Zhou, Stephenson Harwood - Wei Tu (China) Association’s managing partner, share with ALB: “We have an ambitious growth strategy, seeking to double our global turnover to 400 million pounds [$507 million] by April 2027. We are always on the market for talented, ambitious, business-focused lawyers in Greater China.”

Guo and Zhou highlight the importance of maintaining flexibility to adapt to the ever-changing Chinese market. For example, Stephenson Harwood established its first international office in Hong Kong in 1979 and later expanded into Guangzhou and Beijing. However, strategic adjustments eventually resulted in the closure of the latter two offices.

Then in 2016, the firm partnered with Wei Tu to better cater to the unique demands of the Chinese market. Earlier in 2024, Wei Tu established a new Shanghai office to ensure “we have the right people in places our clients need them.”

Guo and Zhou acknowledge the operational shifts in the Chinese legal landscape, noting the closure of several U.S. firms' mainland offices. “For an international law firm to continue to maintain and grow its market share in Greater China, it is important to focus on the development of local talent that have the legal skills and language skills to serve the local clients,” they say.

Peter Zeughauser, a legal consultant at Zeughauser Group, observes that the adjustments by international firms in China reflect an ongoing “right-sizing” process. “For most of these firms, their presence was greater than present demand merited in the first place,” he notes. In light of changed expectations for China and operational pressures back at home, firms must reassess the balance between their desires and market reality.

Zeughauser notes that demand for international legal services in China persists, driven by shifts in economies, national security interests, and trade issues. As Donald Trump is set to return to the White House in January 2025, Zeughauser predicts an increase in legal needs related to tariffs, technology, compliance, and investigations. “But foreign firms doing business in China will no doubt need help from top Chinese firms.”

Looking forward, Zeughauser posits that international firms might return to the China market under changing circumstances. “Nowhere is it written that they won’t come back when circumstances change, and circumstances will change. We are still only in the second decade of the China century,” he says.