Norton Rose Fulbright has laid out plans to “pivot to China,” and as part of those plans, the firm has directed its Hong Kong office to only hire candidates who can speak Mandarin and to focus its Hong Kong business on work for mainland Chinese companies and banks.

“It’s like a kick in the teeth,” said one Norton Rose Fulbright Hong Kong partner. “It’s almost like being anti-colonialist, saying we’re going to kick out all the ex-pats.”