All the latest partner hires and other appointments within firms and offices in the Asia Pacific region.
Australia
DLA Piper has appointed real estate partner Arthur Chong in Melbourne. Chong is dual qualified in Malaysia and Australia and has been a partner at Norton Rose Fulbright for 16 years.
HWL Ebsworth has appointed Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) senior associate Josh Messing as a partner in its Technology, Media and Communications team in Sydney. Prior to his time at HSF, Messing was a member of Minter Ellison’s Technology, Media and Telecommunications team for approximately eight years. The firm has also added banking and finance lawyer Maria Townsend as a partner in Sydney. She was previously a partner at Hunt & Hunt. Her practice has a specific focus on the automotive sector.
K&L Gates has hired real estate partner Chris Wille from Holding Redlich. Wille advises major institutional property investors and developers on the various aspects of commercial, retail, and residential property.
Norton Rose Fulbright has added construction engineering disputes lawyer Peter Lamont as a partner to its Brisbane office. Lamont was previously a special counsel of Clayton Utz.
China
Haiwen & Partners has hired Latham & Watkins Hong Kong of counsel Lu Guiping as a partner to launch a Shenzhen office for the Beijing-based firm. With over 15 years of legal experience, Lu focuses on equity and debt capital markets deals, cross-border M&A as well as private equity, pre-IPO and venture capital financing transactions. He is qualified in the US.
K&L Gates has hired corporate lawyer Ian Liao as a partner in Shanghai. Liao joins from Jones Day, where he was a partner in Beijing and later relocated to Shanghai in 2013. His practice focuses on M&A and venture capital deals, particularly in the Internet and e-commerce space.
Reed Smith has recruited Norton Rose Fulbright partner Jie Zhang in Beijing. Zhang advises on corporate and M&A transactions with a focus on the energy and natural resources sector. Qualified in the US, he first worked at legacy US firm Fulbright & Jaworski’s Washington DC office and moved to the firm’s Hong Kong office in 2001, where he was made partner in 2009. He relocated to Beijing in 2011 to become Beijing head until the firm merged with Norton Rose in 2013.
Hong Kong
DLA Piper New York-based litigation partner Karl Buch has relocated to Hong Kong to become the firm’s Asia investigations head. Buch first joined the firm in 2014 from Pfizer, where he served as associated general counsel, focusing on international investigations as well as internal and government matters. Prior to Pfizer, Buch was of counsel at Chadbourne & Parke.
Slaughter and May has promoted corporate lawyer Roger Cheng to partner in Hong Kong, effective 1 May 2016. Cheng has been with the firm for his whole career since joining as a trainee. His appointment coincides with the retirement of long-serving partner Neil Hyman, who has spent 30 years of his career with the firm and will pursue interests outside of the law.
Stephenson Harwood has hired litigation partner Richard Wilmot from Watson Farley & Williams’ (WFW) Hong Kong office. Wilmot launched the litigation practice for WFW in 2012 when he joined from Holman Fenwick Willan with a team of three associates. He advises banks, buyers, and trading companies on commodities and regulatory matters.
Indonesia
Linklaters’ Indonesian association Widyawan & Partners has hired banking and finance partner Adrian Pranata from Herbert Smith Freehills’ associated firm Hiswara Bunjamin & Tandjung. Pranata will lead the firm’s banking and finance practice in Indonesia.
India
Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas (CAM) has appointed Kunal Gupta as a partner in New Delhi. Gupta is experienced in in forensics and investigations, with over nine years of experience. Prior to joining CAM, he was a partner with Grant Thornton in India.
Japan
Morrison & Foerster has hired Joshua Isenberg a partner in its real estate practice in Tokyo. He joins from Paul Hastings, where he led its local real estate practice in Tokyo. He is admitted to practice in Japan and the US.
Singapore
King & Wood Mallesons has strengthened its newly established Singapore office with the addition of dispute partner Chau Ee Lee, who was previously construction head of Drew & Napier. Lee’s practice covers the full cycle of energy, infrastructure, and construction and engineering projects, advising on project development as well as dispute resolution. Apart from his time at Drew & Napier, he had also practised at Reed Smith’s Dubai office, where he founded and headed up its Middle East construction and engineering practice.
Olswang has named Asia corporate head Andrew Stott as its new Asia managing partner, taking over the role from Rob Bratby who relocated to Singapore from London to launch the office in 2011. Bratby will return to the firm’s London office to take up a global telecoms and emerging markets role. In addition, the firm has promoted Singapore-based TMT lawyer Matt Pollins to partner.