Salans has appointed a new Shanghai managing partner ahead of the departure of local chief Bernd-Uwe Stucken and fellow corporate partner Wei Liu, after the pair resigned last week, leaving the base with no partners.

The exits of the duo, who are subject to a six-month notice period, will leave the office with 13 lawyers and 23 support staff. The news follows the closure of Salans' Beijing and Hong Kong offices earlier this year, with the international firm saying it would focus its China practice in Shanghai.

A four-person management team made up of Paris corporate partner John Flanigan, St Petersburg corporate partner Glenn Kolleeny, Berlin banking and finance partner Hermann Meller and London-based global real estate co-chair Eric Rosedale, was established three years ago to drive strategy in China. Meller, also a board member at Salans, will now represent the firm in the jurisdiction and take up the Shanghai managing partner role, although it is undecided whether he will move to China.

A spokesperson refused to confirm whether new partners will be made up or hired laterally, saying it is too early to say what shape future resourcing will take, and that the office could function without partners in the short term if necessary.

A spokesperson said it was "very unlikely" that the Shanghai office would close, stating: "The fact that we have a strategic group who've been focused on the region for some time is a fairly clear signal that we're extremely committed to the market. The group will examine the best way to service China going forward; the shape of our practice might change, nothing is set in stone."

The Shanghai office currently focuses on corporate and related areas, including real estate, banking and finance. Real estate is likely to remain "very much at the forefront of strategy", with global co-chair Eric Rosedale set to champion local growth in the sector, the spokesperson added.