Offshore law firm Ogier has taken a step into the Asian market through a planned merger with five-year-old niche BVI firm WSmiths, which has an office in Hong Kong.

The combined firm, when the merger takes effect in February next year, will have a presence in nine financial centres worldwide and a staff of 600.

An Ogier statement named expansion into the Asia and China markets as a key driver for the move, as well as the added BVI capabilities that WSmiths would bring.

Duncan Smith (pictured), managing partner of WSmiths' Hong Kong office, is to remain managing partner in Hong Kong for the combined firm post-merger. The firm will operate along jurisdictional lines, with Smith also to be managing partner of the BVI office and team.

Ogier has already begun searching for a Cayman-qualified partner to join the Hong Kong office in order to expand on the region's current BVI law offering.

Duncan Smith in Hong Kong says although the announcement on their intent to merge has only been very recent, there has already been significant interest shown among clients, and the firms have been working together more frequently since then.

Smith says WSmiths had been approached in the past by five other offshore firms looking to expand, but it was Ogier's business model and approach that won out.