Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe has managed to reel in another high-level recruit in Hong Kong, appointing former Debevoise & Plimpton international counsel Mark Lee as a partner. As Lee is a Korea specialist and brought across Korea-focused of counsel David Cho with him, the recruitment potentially gives Orrick a ready-made Korea practice.

In Asia, Lee represents domestic multinational companies and major underwriters on a variety of matters, including US SEC-registered IPOs, and Rule 144A/Regulation S equity/debt and equity-linked offerings.  He also represents clients on significant cross-border M&A transactions for strategic and financial investors.

As recently as May, Lee was involved in two Korean deals out of Hong Kong working alongside Debevoise's partner and other Korean specialist Thomas Britt - the firm acted for Korea Development Bank, Morgan Stanley and UBS Investment Bank in a Regulation S offering of US$300m notes by SK Corporation, and as US counsel to Citigroup Global Markets, JPMorgan and UBS Investment Bank as initial purchasers in Korea Highway Corporation's US$500m offering of notes, listed in Singapore in 2005. Lee has been active in a number of other high profile deals in Korea during his time at Debevoise.

"Mark is one of the most highly respected Korea-focused international lawyers," Orrick's Asia managing partner Christopher Stephens said. "Mark and his team fill several strategically important roles for Orrick by providing additional on-the-ground US capital markets experience in Asia and bolstering our Asian M&A and private equity practices."

Orrick's Korea team includes Eugene Chang, a Tokyo-based finance partner who focuses on project and structured finance and M&A transactions involving Korea, and Michelle Taylor, a Hong Kong-based partner and head of Orrick's regional structured finance team, who previously advised on the first future flow securitisation in Korea.