Perkins Coie has opened a representative office in Shenzhen, in a move that sees the firm regain an on-the-ground presence in China ahead of its planned merger with UK firm Ashurst.
The Seattle-based firm previously had offices in Beijing and Shanghai that it shuttered in 2024, saying at the time it planned to open in Shenzhen in light of the southern city’s explosive growth as a tech and manufacturing hub.
The new office would strengthen its ability “to support Asia-based companies with US and cross-border legal needs”, the firm said in a statement.
It will be led by Bing Ai as chief representative and managing partner, alongside representative and litigation partner Wei Yuan. Both are US-trained lawyers with decades of experience advising technology-focused clients; Ai is co-chair of Perkins Coie’s post-grant practice and focuses on patent procurement, strategies and portfolio management in technologies including semiconductors, electronics and medical devices.
Meanwhile, Yuan is a patent litigator who regularly handles patent infringement disputes in investigations before the International Trade Commission and in US district courts.
“Our clients face increasingly complex global challenges and opportunities,” said Perkins Coie’s managing partner, Bill Malley. “The opening of our Shenzhen representative office underscores our commitment to delivering US legal guidance across borders and supporting clients as they navigate the legal and regulatory complexities of operating in global markets.”
The firm’s return to mainland China sees it go against the trend of office closures and headcount cuts across the country by leading US firms, amid simmering geopolitical tensions between China and the West and tightening regulation.
A handful of international firms have opened offices in Shenzhen, however, drawn by its status as a tech hub within the booming Greater Bay Area (GBA). The region is home to many of China’s leading tech and innovation companies, including the likes of Tencent, ZTE and Huawei, and grew GDP by 60% between 2016 and 2025, when it topped $2trn.
Earlier this month, Pinsent Masons formed a joint venture with a corporate law firm in Shenzhen, having opened an office in the city in January, while offshore law firm Appleby marked its Shenzhen opening last October. HFW also launched there in 2023, becoming the first UK-based international law firm to do so, as did Morgan Lewis, though the US firm shut the two-lawyer office in January after its managing partner left for DLA Piper.
For its part, Perkins Coie last opened an international office in 2024, when it launched in London with a technology-focused corporate team led by former White & Case private equity co-head Ian Bagshaw.
The firm’s partnership is set to vote shortly on a planned merger with UK firm Ashurst, which, should it go ahead, will create a top 20 global firm with annual revenue of around $2.7bn. Ashurst has a small presence in Beijing and Shanghai.
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