It’s time for international law firms and multinational corporations to dust off those contingency plans again. Companies are seeking advice from their outside counsel, wondering what to do if the war games China is playing in the Taiwan Strait turn into an all-out war. International law firms are no doubt doing the same. Seems like we’ve been here before.

It was only six months ago that law firms and their clients scrambled to respond to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. At the time, it seemed as if they weren’t taking action fast enough, but most law firms shuttered their doors relatively quickly. It wasn’t a simple task, emotionally or logistically, to clear out offices and bid farewell to Russian colleagues and clients. But they did. Most global law firms didn’t want to look as if they were reluctant to take a stand when it came to choosing between Russia and Ukraine.