Updated
Updated · Law.com · Jul 9
Law Firms Accelerate Since 2024 Into Secondary Markets as Cross-Border Compliance Demand Rises
Updated
Updated · Law.com · Jul 9

Law Firms Accelerate Since 2024 Into Secondary Markets as Cross-Border Compliance Demand Rises

2 articles · Updated · Law.com · Jul 9

Summary

  • Office openings in secondary and tertiary markets have accelerated since 2024 as law firms push beyond major hubs to capture new cross-border advisory work.
  • Client demand is shifting toward regulatory and compliance advice tied to international business, driving firms into emerging economic centers from Hefei to Hanoi and other overseas markets.
  • The expansion is also reaching the U.S.: one of Japan’s Big Four firms is opening its first West Coast office after operating in New York since 2010.
  • That move aligns with Japan’s planned $550 billion investment in the U.S., while a London private-wealth firm is entering New York and Connecticut with seven senior partners and one senior counsel hired from Withers.

Insights

Are law firms chasing new clients or just fleeing fierce competition in major financial hubs?
Is the global law firm 'gold rush' to new markets creating a bubble destined to pop?
Will AI make this global office expansion obsolete before the leases are even up?