Following the closure of its Shanghai office, Perkins Coie has confirmed to China Business Law Journal that it will be closing its Beijing office while shifting its energy towards Shenzhen.
“With a strategic focus on the major technology hub of Shenzhen, we are aligning our presence and work in China more closely to our clients’ evolving needs and our long-term growth strategy,” said the spokesperson.
A lawyer from the Beijing office, who preferred to remain unnamed, revealed that the entire team would be “moving to another platform in the coming weeks” while another source said the Shenzhen branch would open soon.
On the Law.com legal news website, Perkins Coie’s managing partner Bill Malley said in March that the firm intended to enter the Shenzhen market. Though an IP Agency branch belonging to the firm was established in Shenzhen in 2019, the office is now deregistered.
The office in the capital opened its doors in 2002 as Perkins Coie’s first mainland branch. Its website shows nine lawyers based in Beijing, including managing partner Scott Palmer, and partners Michael House, Geoffrey Vance and James Zimmerman, who specialise in IP matters such as patent litigation, trademarks, and international trade affairs.
Since last year, several international law firms, including Holman Fenwick Willan, Morgan Lewis, Bird & Bird and Rajah & Tann, have expanded their presence in Shenzhen. These firms consistently cited the city’s status as a technology hub in China and the escalating demand for IP rights when discussing their Shenzhen ventures.
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