Is This Elite Biglaw Firm Allowing Its Offices In China To ‘Flounder’?
Many Biglaw firms are fleeing from China, closing offices left and right. Firms that haven chosen to remain, however, are seeing their partners do the exits for them. Kirkland & Ellis, arguably the most successful law firm on the planet, is one of those firms, and the legal community has taken notice, leading many to wonder if the firm has “misplayed” Asia. Law.com International has additional details:
Eleven partners have left Kirkland & Ellis in Hong Kong since February of this year. Their departures follow those of 10 additional partners who left the firm in 2024.
Twenty-one partner departures from one firm in a single region in less than two years is noteworthy for any law firm, even for the world’s richest and most prominent practice. The exodus calls into question the health and viability of Kirkland’s business and strategy in Asia, where it has long focused on Greater China with three offices in the region.
Kirkland is said to have conducted layoffs in its Hong Kong office last March, claiming that its team was “too big.” Other attorneys in the area have pointed out a reported “noxious culture” at the firm, where the name of the game for lawyers is to “kill or be killed.” An insider at the firm claims that the Shanghai and Beijing offices “have not been making money for a very long time” — and yet the firm has chosen to retain all three of its offices in China.
For its part, Kirkland & Ellis doesn’t see a problem. “We remain deeply committed to our long-term strategy and presence in Asia, which includes fostering a collaborative culture where our talent can thrive,” the firm’s spokesperson told Law.com International.
Will Kirkland soon become one of the next Biglaw firms to say zàijiàn to its offices in China? You can email us or text us (646-820-8477) if you have any intel. Thank you.
The Kirkland Effect: Has the Firm Misplayed Asia? [Law.com International]
Staci Zaretsky is the managing editor of 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 Bluesky, X/Twitter, and Threads, or connect with her on LinkedIn.
