Legal Industry News & Trends: Nov Week 4

1. People Moves

i. SG: Hogan

Hogan: Hogan Lovells added seasoned arbitration expert Rob Palmer as a partner to its Southeast Asia dispute resolution practice. Palmer, who will be based in Singapore, was previously the managing partner of Ashurst Singapore.

• Expertise: Energy, construction, and infrastructure disputes across Asia Pacific (APAC).
• Accreditations: A Fellow of multiple arbitration institutions, including SIAC and ACICA.
• Experience: Palmer has managed cases across leading arbitral forums.

Palmer’s hire follows the recent departure of two corporate partners to O’Melveny, bringing Hogan Lovells’ partner count in Singapore to seven.

ii. HK & CN: CMS, Fangda, Dahui, AnJie and Anli

CMS: CMS added Mayer Brown’s counsel Helen Wang as a partner for its Hong Kong funds practice.

• Expertise: Wang specialises in the formation, maintenance, and restructuring of investment funds.
• Experience: Wang has advised a diverse client base across Hong Kong, Mainland China, Taiwan, Japan, and Australia.

This follows the recent hires of funds partner Paul Moloney and senior associate Gigi Ma, who was also from Mayer Brown. With this addition, CMS’s Hong Kong office now comprises 30 lawyers, including 10 partners.

Fangda: Monica Sun, a veteran energy lawyer at Herbert Smith Freehills, is leaving to join leading Chinese law firm Fangda Partners in Beijing. Sun has been a partner at HSF for nearly 20 years. Her exit follows the recent move of Jie Li, HSF’s former energy counsel, who also joined Fangda as a partner in Beijing in July.

DaHui: DaHui Lawyers strengthened its Wuhan presence by hiring Zhang Dongjing as a partner and executive director. Zhang was formerly the director of Zhongshan Law Firm, a leading Wuhan-based firm with over 200 lawyers. She joins with her team of four.

• Expertise: Zhang has more than 20 years of experience in construction, real estate, dispute resolution, investment and financing projects.
• Experience: She has advised government bodies, state-owned enterprises, and listed companies on urban renewal initiatives. Zhang also serves as the vice president of the Hubei Provincial Lawyers Association and a specialist for the Supreme People’s Procuratorate.

DaHui, which opened its Wuhan office in October 2023, now has a team of around 50 lawyers led by managing partner Edward Lu.

AnJie: AnJie Broad added three partners from Winlong Law Firm to its Guangzhou office.

• Tian Miao and Wang Jiang previously co-led Winlong’s criminal defence and risk prevention practice. Tian was a former senior public prosecutor in the Greater Bay Area. Meanwhile, Wang has 14 years of judicial experience and is adept at handling complex cases involving duty crimes, smuggling, tax offences, economic crimes, and civil-criminal overlap cases.
• Wang Jue is recognised in the field of foreign investment law and was honoured as a leading lawyer in foreign-related matters by the Guangzhou Lawyers Association in 2022. She focuses on cross-border investment, M&A, labour and employment, and bankruptcy restructuring and liquidation.

Anli: Anli Partners appointed Wang Shixun, a dispute resolution expert, as a partner in its Beijing office. Wang is experienced in civil and criminal law, and he joins from Longshine Law Firm.

2. Business Moves

i. Sunshine Opens New Office in Chongqing

Sunshine Law Firm, known for its expertise in energy law, has opened its fourth branch in China. The new office in Chongqing has a team of over 10 professionals and will focus on green bonds, tax compliance, restructuring, and dispute resolution across energy, environmental, and infrastructure sectors.

Takeaway: The firm’s move seeks to tap into Chongqing’s efforts to advance regional economic development, enhance energy infrastructure, and support China’s green and low-carbon transition goals.

ii. Linklaters Launches Abu Dhabi Practice

Linklaters has expanded its global investment funds practice by establishing a dedicated presence in Abu Dhabi. The new regional practice will be led by counsel Gabriela Patrikova, who brings extensive experience from the firm’s offices in London, Hong Kong, and New York.

iii. Meysan and Hammad & Al-Mehdar to Form Regional Powerhouse

Kuwaiti law firm Meysan formed an alliance with Saudi Arabia’s Hammad & Al-Mehdar to create a regional legal powerhouse. The collaboration will unite over 70 lawyers across nine offices and focus on serving clients in the Middle East, particularly in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, where both firms aim to strengthen their offerings. While maintaining their individual brands, the firms are aligning operational processes and may explore a merger in the future. The alliance will enhance their capabilities across various industries, including construction, financial services, and real estate, and integrate their corporate service offerings.

Takeaway: This move reflects the growing consolidation in the Saudi legal market and a direct response to client demand for streamlined, regionally integrated legal services.

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Image Credits:

• Asian Legal Business
• FinanceAsia