Seattle-based Am Law 100 firm Davis Wright Tremaine is closing its Shanghai outpost after 24 years, as its former office head joins China’s Zhong Lun Law Firm.

The firm, which was one of the first U.S. firms to open in the Chinese city, confirmed that the Executive Committee had voted earlier this year to close its Shanghai office by the end of the year. “We concluded that focusing on the core strengths of our U.S.-based practices will allow us to better build on our success over the past several years,” the firm said in an emailed statement.