UK-headquartered Eversheds Sutherland has confirmed to ALB that the firm is currently reviewing whether to keep its Beijing office open, while also making plans to reestablish an office in Singapore.

“Eversheds Sutherland (International) is seeking, subject to regulatory approvals and the successful conclusion of current, ongoing discussions, to shortly establish a formal presence in Singapore,” the firm told ALB.

Eversheds had exited Singapore in 2020 after its three-year merger with Harry Elias Partnership came to an end.

In the case of its Beijing office, however, the firm said no final decision had been made.

Eversheds’ Beijing office was established in 2013 and currently has four lawyers, including Beijing managing partner Jay Ze, of counsel Grace Ma, and associates Zhe Zhou and Shona Shang.

The office primarily focuses on cross-border mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, investment funds, joint ventures, and corporate finance. It provides cross-border services to large Chinese state-owned enterprises and private companies.

In July last year, Eversheds signed an exclusive referral cooperation agreement with King & Wood Mallesons China, under which Eversheds would refer clients in need of Chinese legal services to KWM.

The firm informed ALB that the first year of the arrangement had been “very successful,” with significant numbers of referrals being made and work won. It remains unclear how this cooperation model has affected the work of the firm’s Mainland China offices.

In China, Eversheds also has offices in Shanghai and Hong Kong. The firm confirmed that these offices “were not subject to any review, and there is no intention that they will be.”

The Shanghai office was established in 2006, and Hong Kong in 2009. Together they have 17 partners and 58 lawyers, with the bulk of those in Hong Kong.