Cleary Gottlieb is closing its Beijing office, the law firm announced Monday.
“In July 2025, Cleary Gottlieb will merge our Beijing operations with Hong Kong, closing the Beijing office and consolidating our Greater China presence into Hong Kong,” the firm said in a statement. “We continue our commitment to serving clients in the region and believe this decision will allow us to do so more efficiently.”
Cleary is the latest in a series of Big Law firms shrinking their footprints in China, with several leaving the country altogether. Milbank LLP plans to close its Beijing office early this year, while Paul Weiss shuttered its operations in the city at the end of 2024. Kirkland & Ellis and WilmerHale are among others to wind down China offices.
The departures of US law firms continue amid the deterioration of relations between the US and China. Many firms are pivoting to Singapore as a regional base.
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