Ashurst continues to bulk up its Asia Pacific offering with the hire of Linklaters partner PH Chik to its Hong Kong office.
The appointment comes after the office lost its former office managing partner Lina Lee and partner Jonathan Hsui who quit to join Allen & Overy’s (A&O) capital markets practice in September.
Corporate partner Chik specialises in Hong Kong listing work, including Hong Kong IPOs, secondary offerings and post-listing compliance, with a particular focus on Chinese state-owned enterprises. He joined Linklaters’ Beijing office in 2012 after moving from Baker & McKenzie where he spent five years.
Ashurst’s Asia corporate head Stuart Rubin said: ‘Hong Kong ECM has long been, and will continue to be, an engine for the growth of our broader corporate practice. PH’s hire will complement our existing investment bank relationships to enable us to compete for Hong Kong’s premier IPOs.’
Chik’s arrival follows the hires of M&A partner John Brewster, who joins from Clayton Utz, and Shane Kyriakou from Herbert Smith Freehills to its Melbourne office. Ashurst confirmed their appointments earlier this week.
Ashurst lost Singapore managing partner Shaun Lascelles in October who moved to Vinson & Elkins, along with fellow corporate partner Keith McGuire, who left the Singapore office in favour of PwC Legal. Abu Dhabi managing partner Alastair Holland joined Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle.
Linklaters saw a number of senior exits early last year. Capital markets partners Singapore-based Dean Lockhart and Hong Kong-based Jeremy Webb resigned last January, along with big-billing Hong Kong corporate partner Christopher Kelly.
Linklaters’ partnership decided against pursuing a fully-fledged merger to secure credible China law coverage and voted through plans for a local spin-off.
madeleine.farman@legalease.co.uk
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