The biggest story in the Asia legal market last week centered on Latham & Watkins’ decision to block automatic access for its Hong Kong staff to files and documents outside of Greater China. They aren’t forbidden access completely. It’s just that they now must seek approval to gain access, a deviation from the firm’s past approach or, in more affable terms, an update to its data management process.

Someone I met with this week told me it’s not “news,” and that several other international firms have already been doing something similar or are seriously considering the same approach.