Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) has launched an arbitration practice in Hong Kong with the hire of a nine-strong team from local boutique Haley & Co, in a bid to ‘create a powerful international arbitration and real estate offering in the region’.
Announced today (20 March) the firm has recruited partner trio Glenn Haley, Ilan Freiman and Geoff Shaw, as well as four associates, plus a trainee and paralegal, and up to five business services staff.
Haley, who founded the eponymous boutique, will operate within BLP’s international disputes group led by Jonathan Sacher, and work closely with recently appointed Asia head Bob Charlton who joined from DLA Piper last year. Shaw is also a litigator specialising in construction and commercial disputes, while Freiman will work within the real estate group headed by partner Chris de Pury.
Launched in October 2011 along with its Beijing office, the firm will now have 31 lawyers, including 11 partners, in China. Charlton commented: ‘Haley & Co has a great heritage in both arbitration and real estate and infrastructure work and the lateral hire of the team helps us develop a key part of our strategy in Asia. Firstly, we want to build a sizeable international arbitration practice in Hong Kong and the wider region. Secondly, we want to grow our international real estate and infrastructure capabilities. We welcome all of our new team into BLP as we look to create a powerful international arbitration and real estate offering in the region.’
BLP’s Asia strategy has included alliances in Indonesia with Mataram Partners and Legal Network Consultants in Myanmar while the firm also has an ongoing relationship with South East Asian firm DFDL.
sarah.downey@legalease.co.uk
