Renae Lattey, the chief executive partner in Australia for KWM
King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) will separate its China and Australia businesses in 2026, ending the combination formed by the 2012 merger of Chinese firm King & Wood and Australian peer Mallesons Stephen Jaques.
Renae Lattey, the chief executive partner in Australia for KWM, told Asia Business Law Journal that this was an exciting strategic repositioning of the firm’s business.
She said a lot had changed since the firms established the combination nearly 14 years ago.
“Our respective clients’ needs have changed. This is pulling us in different directions,” she said.
Leaning into KWM’s number one position in this market and working with global elite peer firms to drive cross-border work was where the firm saws the greatest opportunity, said Lattey.
In a joint press release, KWM China and Australia announced that from 31 March 2026, the Australia and Singapore offices would operate under the Mallesons name, while the offices in Greater China (including Hong Kong) and other regions would operate under King & Wood.
The joint press release stated that all client work would continue on a business-as-usual basis and joint matters would not be affected, and both firms “looked forward to working together in the future on a non-exclusive basis”.
In the press release, KWM global chairman Wang Junfeng said, “This development reflects the different strategic horizons of our firms, and that King & Wood’s Hong Kong office, the largest law firm in Hong Kong by number of lawyers, will continue to take on a strategic role in this effort.”
Founded in 1993, King & Wood was among China’s earliest private partnership law firms. In 2012, it merged with Mallesons Stephen Jaques to form KWM. After the merger, the firm expanded into Europe and the Middle East, but in early 2017 its UK and European arm entered administration following departures and takeover speculation.
In July 2023, KWM signed a formal co‑operation agreement with Eversheds Sutherland under which future matters originating in the UK, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America would be referred to Eversheds Sutherland, with six expansion offices closing and teams transitioning.
Also in 2023, the China division withdrew from the firm’s professional indemnity insurance scheme.
KWM currently has 26 offices worldwide, including Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Tokyo, Singapore and New York.
