Globalization and International Law Firms in China
Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2014, 2:30–4:00 p.m. • UC Irvine School of Law, LAW 3500 (Map)
A Public Lecture by Rachel Stern
Introduction
At a moment when law firms worldwide are besieged by a shared sense of crisis, how are international law firms faring in China? Drawing on a mix of qualitative and quantitative data collected in 2013, this talk will present the first comprehensive overview of the field, including information about the global mix of players, the size of their China practices, and variation in market niche. What emerges is extraordinary convergence on one business model: an outpost office with a median size of 10 lawyers responsible for under five percent of firm revenue. At least at present, the experiences of international law firms in China illustrate the limits of interconnection far more than the explosive growth potential of emerging markets. The presence of over 200 international law offices in China—and their difficulties growing beyond a certain size—illustrates the strength of hype, the constraints of partnership, and the ongoing power of the Chinese state to shape the legal services market.
About the Speaker
Rachel Stern is Assistant Professor of Law and Political Science at the Jurisprudence and Social Policy Program at Berkeley Law. She is the author of Environmental Litigation in China: A Study in Political Ambivalence (Cambridge University Press 2013) and a former Junior Fellow at the Harvard University Society of Fellows. Earlier articles on law, social activism and environmental issues in China and Hong Kong have appeared in Comparative Political Studies, Law and Policy, China Quarterly and other journals.
The Long Institute Lecture Series on Chinese Law, Business and Society
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