Linklaters has bolstered its practice in Japan with the hiring of David Deck, the managing partner of Shearman & Sterling's Tokyo office.

Structured finance partner Deck specialises in securitisation transactions, leveraged lease financings, project financings, cross-border M&As, and venture capital and private equity transactions. His major clients include Merrill Lynch, ING Barings Japan and Citibank.

The loss of Deck leaves Masahisa Ikeda as Shearman's only resident US partner. Linklaters now has more than 30 lawyers in Tokyo but is yet to secure a joint venture with a local practice.