Top law firm leaders concede that 2022 has been a difficult year for firms focusing on the Greater China region, though a more diversified approach both in terms of geographical spread and practice coverage has helped some mitigate the slow market.

There are several reasons for the downturn: Earlier in 2022, multiple Chinese cities went into lockdown for months, consequently putting the brakes on pipeline deals. Greater China's insistence on its zero-COVID strategy has forced global businesses to reassess and restructure their supply chains outside of mainland China. And investors were deterred from traveling into the region due to stringent quarantine requirements for most of the year.