Taylor Wessing will separate from its Hong Kong operation, which will become an independent practice next month. The Hong Kong office will operate under the name H.M. Chan & Co after the split takes effect on Nov. 17, though both firms plan to maintain a working relationship.
H.M. Chan & Co. joined Taylor Wessing's Swiss Verein structure in 2021 following an earlier association arrangement. Mark Chan established the firm in 2015 and said the partnership with Taylor Wessing spans more than a decade. The separation follows a pattern of Western law firms reducing their China market footprint, similar to Mayer Brown's December split from its Chinese branch that relaunched as Johnson Stokes & Master.
Taylor Wessing co-chair Shane Gleghorn described the division as a mutual decision reached on friendly terms. The firm attributed the move to expansion plans centered on European markets, with selective presence elsewhere based on client demands. Six legal professionals currently work in the Hong Kong location, which comprises three partners, two associates and one trainee. Taylor Wessing restructured its mainland China operations in March by shifting Shanghai to inbound matters and moving Beijing under its intellectual property unit.
H.M. Chan & Co. joined Taylor Wessing's Swiss Verein structure in 2021 following an earlier association arrangement. Mark Chan established the firm in 2015 and said the partnership with Taylor Wessing spans more than a decade. The separation follows a pattern of Western law firms reducing their China market footprint, similar to Mayer Brown's December split from its Chinese branch that relaunched as Johnson Stokes & Master.
Taylor Wessing co-chair Shane Gleghorn described the division as a mutual decision reached on friendly terms. The firm attributed the move to expansion plans centered on European markets, with selective presence elsewhere based on client demands. Six legal professionals currently work in the Hong Kong location, which comprises three partners, two associates and one trainee. Taylor Wessing restructured its mainland China operations in March by shifting Shanghai to inbound matters and moving Beijing under its intellectual property unit.
