John Gale, managing partner of Stephenson Harwood's Greater China offices, will retire from the firm's partnership next year after nearly 26 years at the firm, seven of which were spent as managing partner.
The firm has announced that Voon Keat Lai will become its new managing partner, effective 1 August 2009.
Lai, who has been with the firm since 1991, practices primarily in international corporate finance, commercial contracts and technology and is the current head of business technology.
News of Lai's appointment caps off a busy six months for Stephenson Harwood across Asia. In January this year the firm appointed Singapore-based insurance and re-insurance specialist Steven Dewhurst from the Hong Kong office of DLA Piper and global head of aviation, Paul Ng, from Freshfields.
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