Asia-based law firms are on a growth tear. Since 2011, the 50 largest firms based in the Asia-Pacific region have raised their lawyer numbers by 65 percent, to 41,255 lawyers, according to the latest data from The Asia 100 survey. That rate far outpaces the head count growth seen in The Global 100 in the same period (14 percent) or in The Am Law 100 (8 percent).
Some of the increase in Asia-Pacific head count in recent years stems from cross-border mergers with already sizeable international firms. The No. 2 firm on our list last year, Dacheng, took the top spot this time after its history-making tie-up with global giant Dentons boosted the combined firm’s head count from 3,700 to 6,568. A series of mergers—between China’s King & Wood and Australia’s Mallesons Stephen Jaques in 2012, then with U.K. firm SJ Berwin in 2013—helped put King & Wood Mallesons third on our list with 2,250 lawyers. Herbert Smith Freehills, fourth on our list with 1,956 lawyers, is the product of a 2012 combination between Australia’s Freehills and the United Kingdom’s Herbert Smith.
