I had started to write a version of this column on Thursday about McDermott Will & Emery's plan to add an office in Singapore when something else broke. Debevoise & Plimpton had ended its on-the-ground presence in Tokyo. This somewhat changed what I had in mind and led me to think about what firms are trying to get out of Asian offices. 

I read through old interviews and analyses, and found no satisfying answer. Circumstances change, leadership changes, people change. In a sense, there's very little point what I do here. Barely any analysis stood the test of time. It's easy to comment on the flip-flops, but is there really anything beyond the fact that we just change our minds?  

Before setting their sight on Singapore, McDermott had cut ties in China and Korea under the new leadership. Those are probably wise calls since the firm posted record financial results for the second year in a row in 2020. There's not a ton of clarity in the statement as to how Singapore fits into the firm's growth plans even in the short term. But the city-state is shaping up to be the next Asia bet for many firms. This week, we revisit some recent entrants into Singapore and hopefully find a way to make some sense of being in Asia.