Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld (Akin) is scheduled to close its Singapore office, leaving Hong Kong as its sole branch in Asia.
“Akin intends to wind down operations in Singapore in the second quarter of 2026, where it has eight lawyers,” a spokesperson for Akin told Asia Business Law Journal.
Despite the closure, Akin said it would continue to invest in and expand its international platform, including its Asia hub in Hong Kong.
“We remain committed to serving our clients in Singapore and those doing business in Singapore, through strong collaboration with our global practices and offices.”
Akin’s Singapore office was launched in August 2012, following the opening of its Hong Kong office in February of the same year. Since inception, the Singapore office has provided legal advice and counsel to US and international clients engaging in Singapore’s markets.
Currently, the Singapore branch is headed by funds lawyer and partner Olivia Chung, who has been with Akin for 17 years. Chung joined the Singapore team in 2020 from the firm’s New York office, where she spent three years as a partner. At Akin, she has represented sovereign wealth investors in side-by-side investments in commingled closed-end funds and customised fund-of-one solutions. She has also advised US institutional investors on fund investments and revenue-sharing joint ventures with fund managers.
“Chung will be relocating to Akin’s New York office,” the firm told ABLJ.
All lawyers had also been given the option to relocate to other offices within the firm’s global platform, Akin said.
This move follows the closure of Akin’s Beijing office in 2004, marking Hong Kong as its last remaining Asian outpost. As of 18 November 2025, the firm’s website states that the Hong Kong office comprises 15 lawyers. Its practice areas include corporate and finance, financial restructuring, global investigations and compliance, international trade, investment management, and litigation and arbitration.
