King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) will separate its China and Australia businesses in 2026, ending the combination between Chinese firm King & Wood and Australian peer Mallesons Stephen Jaques formed through their 2012 merger. The two divisions will resume independent development under their respective original brands.
Renae Lattey, the chief executive partner in Australia for KWM, told Asia Business Law Journal that this was an exciting strategic repositioning of the firm’s business.
She said a lot had changed since the firms established the combination nearly 14 years ago. “Our respective clients’ needs have changed. This is pulling us in different directions,” she said.
Leaning into KWM’s number one position in this market and working with global elite peer firms to drive cross-border work was where the firm saw the greatest opportunity, said Lattey.
Since 2023, the China division has already withdrawn from the firm’s professional indemnity insurance scheme.
In a joint press release, KWM China and Australia announced that from 31 March 2026, the Australia and Singapore offices will operate under the Mallesons name, while the offices in Greater China (including Hong Kong) and other regions will operate under King & Wood.
KWM said the decision “reflects the evolution of both firms and their respective strategic priorities and future aspirations”. The firm said all client work would continue on a business-as-usual basis and joint matters would not be affected. The China and Australia teams also said they “look forward to working together in the future on a non-exclusive basis”.
KWM’s global chairman Wang Junfeng said: “This development reflects the different strategic horizons of our firms. We thank the Australian firm for the years of teamwork and partnership.
“We remain committed to our international strategy and will continue to expand our geographic coverage through both organic growth and collaboration with other leading firms globally.”
Founded in 1993, King & Wood was one of China’s earliest private partnership law firms. In 2012, it merged with Australian law firm Mallesons Stephen Jaques to form KWM.
Following the merger, the firm expanded rapidly, opening six offices across Europe and the Middle East. However, these expansion offices later faced departures and takeover speculation, and in early 2017, KWM’s UK and European arm entered administration.
In July 2023, KWM signed a formal co-operation agreement with Eversheds Sutherland, under which all future legal matters originating in the UK, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America would be referred to Eversheds Sutherland. The six expansion offices were to be closed, with their teams transitioning to Eversheds Sutherland.
KWM currently has 26 offices worldwide, including in Beijing, Shanghai, Changchun, Chengdu, Hong Kong, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Tokyo, Singapore and New York.
KWM’s China and Australia offices said that both teams would “co-ordinate to ensure a smooth transition with no disruption to clients or impact to local leadership, governance and operations”.
Lattey said: “We thank the partners and colleagues of KWM China for their professionalism, collegiality and friendship over the past 14 years. We will continue to build on this proud legacy as we become the only top tier independent firm operating from Australia with the flexibility to collaborate more broadly with global elite firms to meet the needs of our clients and our people here, across the region and around the globe.”
