Australia and China dominate the legal profession in Asia. At least that’s the impression given by the inaugural Asian Lawyer survey of the 50 largest law firms based in the region, as calculated by head count. Of the top 20 firms on the list, only three—Korea’s 614-lawyer Kim & Chang, India’s 550-lawyer Amarchand & Mangaldas & Suresh A. Shroff, and Japan’s 490-lawyer Nishimura & Asahi—do not hail from China or Australia. Indeed, Chinese firms account for 17 out of 50 slots on the list; Australian firms, 12 out of 50 [see "Stars in the East"].
Nor would the top 20 look very different if the Asia-Pacific offices of U.S. and European firms operating in the region were included. Of those firms, only global giants Baker & McKenzie, with 1,054 lawyers in its Asia-Pacific offices, and Norton Rose, with 806 lawyers in Asia and Australia, would be able to muscle their way onto the list [see "Biggest Footprints"].
