One of the most prominent law firms in China has quietly closed its UK business and placed it into administration.

Quantuma Advisory was appointed at the end of last month to handle the affairs of Zhong Lun Law Firm Limited. The Solicitors Regulation Authority register also confirms that the firm is in the process of closing.

The Zhong Lun website does not list London as one of its offices and there was no public confirmation of the closure.

The firm itself is one of the largest full-service practices in China with more than 2,300 lawyers and almost 400 partners.

Its arrival in the UK in 2012 was understated, with international managing partner Robert Lewis saying the firm wanted to co-operate rather than compete with the domestic market, and the central London office having just five solicitors to start with. It specialised in cross-border work including corporate, finance and dispute resolution.

The most recent annual accounts for Zhong Lun Law Firm Limited, covering the year ended 31 March 2025, show the business had reduced headcount from 51 to 33. Cash reserves had dwindled from £610,000 to £91,000 but the business had increased its net assets to around £926,000.

Last week it was confirmed that national firm Taylor Rose had appointed James Ng as partner in its dispute resolution team. Ng joined from Zhong Lun, where he was head of dispute resolution in its London office.