Global law firm Hogan Lovells will close its Australian office leaving its 20 local lawyers with an uncertain future, as fellow transatlantic firm A&O Shearman reveals cuts to its partnership.

The shuttering of the firm’s presence in Sydney was announced on Thursday in the United States (Friday AEST) as part of a “streamlined office footprint” which also includes the closure of outposts in Warsaw and Johannesburg. Hogan Lovells shut its Perth office two years ago.