For many associates from Hong Kong or Singapore currently working in London or New York, the idea of moving home is often a difficult decision. You may find yourself missing the rhythm of life back home. But alongside that longing, there’s often a big question: “Will I be able to continue building the same level of career I have here?”
The answer, increasingly, is yes. Right now, some of the most prestigious international, US and offshore law firms in Hong Kong and Singapore are actively hiring, and they’re looking for lawyers just like you.
Why Now?
The legal recruitment market in Hong Kong and Singapore is seeing real momentum—especially across transactional practice areas.
A recent survey by Norton Rose Fulbright and Mergermarket of over 200 senior executives across Asia shows a decisive shift in strategy, with dealmakers remaining bullish despite global headwinds.
Raj Karia, Norton Rose Fulbright’s Global Head of Corporate, M&A and Securities, said:
“𝘞𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘧𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘔&𝘈, 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘤 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨.
For lawyers, this translates into a notable uptick in demand for mid to senior-level corporate/M&A associates, particularly those with cross-border experience now able to lead on regional mandates. If you’ve been working in London or New York, your exposure to high-value, international transactions makes you highly attractive to firms in Asia.
These are not just lateral moves—they’re strategic career accelerators offering:
- Complex, high-quality cross-border and regional transactional work
- A clear path to partnership
- The opportunity to return to the rhythm of life back home, without sacrificing international career momentum
A select few US firms offer COLA packages, which include a yearly lump sum of between $40,000 - $95,000. You can read more about COLA here.
Who’s in Demand?
Hiring partners across Asia are actively looking for:
- Associates with UK or US qualifications, ideally at 3PQE or Class Year 2021+
- Strong academic backgrounds and training from elite firms
Recent Success Stories
→ Magic Circle Lawyer Makes Partner at Offshore Firm
→ Associate Move: Back Home to Singapore
