KhattarWong has announced the appointment of former DLA Piper lawyer Tan Choon Leng to its corporate & securities laws department. Tan's practice includes advising MNCs, funds and banks on their South East Asian matters, with an emphasis on distressed situations, restructurings, work-outs and M&A transactions in what is a clear sign of where KhattarWong's priorities lie at the moment.

"The addition of Choon Leng to the corporate and commercial team is in-line with our growth strategies for the current market," said Tan Chong Huat, KhattarWong's managing partner and head of its corporate & securities laws department. Tan Choon Leng will work alongside senior partner Rajan Menon and partners Anne Chua, Dennis Lui, Winston Seow and Nicholas Lim.

Tan Choon Leng is the eighth DLA Piper senior lawyer to leave that firm in as many weeks. DLA Piper has lost 18% of its partners in its Hong Kong and Singapore offices since the start of the year. ALB has reported earlier that former Singapore chief Desmond Ong departed to head Eversheds' Singapore operations while only last week Kevin Murphy joined K&L Gates' new Singapore office.