Clayton Utz has announced that it will be opening a Hong Kong office, focussing on construction, major projects and international dispute resolution.
The new office will kick off with just two partners, so it's hardly a massive move - but it's still a surprising one. Clayton Utz has traditionally resisted the urge to expand internationally, chosing instead to maintain preferred relationships with local firms through two international legal networks - Lex Mundi and the Pacific Rim Advisory Council. This is in stark contrast to its competition, most of which have offices throughout Asia.
The firm says that the move is due to "globalisation of business and the increased levels of economic activity across the South East Asian region" and that the new office will provide an Asian hub "from which many cross-border activities can easily be undertaken".
A spokesman told RollOnFriday that the firm had traditionally worked in Hong Kong "on a fly-in/fly-out basis", but the practice had now matured to the point where a permanent presence was needed. Next stop, uh, Fiji.
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The new office will kick off with just two partners, so it's hardly a massive move - but it's still a surprising one. Clayton Utz has traditionally resisted the urge to expand internationally, chosing instead to maintain preferred relationships with local firms through two international legal networks - Lex Mundi and the Pacific Rim Advisory Council. This is in stark contrast to its competition, most of which have offices throughout Asia.
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Clayton Utz arrives in Hong Kong |
The firm says that the move is due to "globalisation of business and the increased levels of economic activity across the South East Asian region" and that the new office will provide an Asian hub "from which many cross-border activities can easily be undertaken".
A spokesman told RollOnFriday that the firm had traditionally worked in Hong Kong "on a fly-in/fly-out basis", but the practice had now matured to the point where a permanent presence was needed. Next stop, uh, Fiji.