Appointments

With an aim to enhancing its Greater China practice, Stephenson Harwood has hired Martin Downey, a leading lawyer in the field of construction law and dispute resolution, for its Hong Kong office from Blank Rome.

DLA Piper has relocated Scott Thiel, an expert in intellectual property and technology (IPT), from the UK to Hong Kong in response to an upswing in demand for such services.

Ropes & Gray has appointed Geoffrey Lin as a partner in its Shanghai office. Lin, who is an intellectual property lawyer with more than six years experience in advising clients on non-contentious and contentious IP matters across the region, joins the firm from the Shanghai office of Hogan Lovells

Pinsent Masons has hired Kenneth Chong as a partner for its Hong Kong office. Chong, who join the firm’s corporate department, joins the firm from local Hong Kong firm ONC Lawyers and will bring his team of senior associate Sylvia Zee and Jackie Liu with him.

Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft has hired Jeffrey Chen as a partner in its Hong Kong office. Chen joins the firm from Mayer Brown JSM.

Reed Smith has opened its third office in Asia with its Shanghai launch, earlier this month.

Moore, who joins the firm as a partner in its corporate & capital markets practice, is also currently serving as the Deputy Chairman of the Listing Committee of the Main Board of the Growth Enterprise Market of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, and has acted on some of the region’s largest listings of the past few years.

US-based firm Jones Day has promoted 36 lawyers to its global partnership this week, a third of whom are in offices outside the US and a quarter of whom are female. Those promoted include Joe Bauerschmidt in Singapore, John Lin in Taipei and Sebastien Evrard and Ian Lian both in Beijing.

Amidst the turmoil of 31 international firms being sued for practising illegally in India, Clifford Chance joined the growing ranks of firms making India-relevant hires in Singapore as it appointed Geraint Hughes, 43, as head of its India practice.

Anti-fraud specialist Jeff Lane, formerly a name partner of Hong Kong boutique firm Gall & Lane (now known as Gall), has joined King & Wood as a partner.

Against a challenging background for employers in China, Mayer Brown JSM has enhanced its offerings with the addition of PRC employment specialist Susan Deng, previously a senior legal counsel of Standard Chartered Bank (China).

Simmons & Simmons will soon launch its third China office in Beijing. As part of its expansion plan, the firm has appointed Davis Wang from King & Wood as a partner, who will be based in Beijing when the office opens.

Gide Loyrette Nouel has appointed Samuel Chau to its head of banking and finance (Hong Kong). Previously, Chau served as a consultant in the international finance group of Sidley Austin's Hong Kong office.

Rocky Lee has left his position as head of China venture capital and PE practice at DLA Piper to become Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft’s Asia managing partner and head of Greater China corporate practice.

Nixon Peabody has named partner David Cheng as the new chair and managing partner of its China and Asia Pacific practice. This follows the defection to DLA Piper of Henry Liu, the previous holder of the position.

Mark Cohen, previously an of counsel at Jones Day's Beijing office, has been appointed by Microsoft as director for international intellectual property.

Yet another partner has moved from an international to a local firm. Rupert Li, previously the Beijing chief representative and partner of Clifford Chance, has swapped his partnership at the magic circle firm for a senior management position with domestic powerhouse King & Wood.

Former Allen & Overy of counsel Lynn Yang has recently joined Norton Rose’s Shanghai office as corporate and insurance partner.

Hot on the heels of losing Hong Kong partner Joe Sevack to Troutman Sanders, Paul Hastings has appointed former managing partner of Hogan & Hartson’s Beijng office, Roger Peng, as partner in its Beijing office.

ALB Fast 30 firm Indochine Counsel has made up its first female partner. Ms Nguyen Thi Hong Anh, who as a senior associate has led the firm's IP & technology practice since its establishment in 2007, becomes the firm's fifth partner overall.