Clyde & Co has further expanded its China operations with the hire of Eversheds’ Asia head of employment Iris Duchetsmann to lead its Shanghai office.
Duchetsmann will focus on expanding the firm’s regional employment law capabilities, its overall China offering and comes with a particular focus on cross-border issues and international human resources management.
Also joining Clyde’s Shanghai office are three employment associates from Eversheds – Lisa Li, Cynthia Zheng and Vivien Xu – bringing the lawyer headcount up to 23 and five partners in total.
Duchetsmann has spent the past year at Eversheds in Shanghai, before which she worked at Salans in a counsel role in the Chinese city from 2010. She confirmed to Legal Business that Clyde & Co was her first choice of firm because of its strong international platform and its plans to expand further in China.
‘The maturing Chinese market has been evolving, prompting international companies to look for specialised advice tailored to their industries,’ she said. ‘Supporting clients on their inbound and outbound work also means executing projects on a regional and global level, which fortunately is a core strength of Clyde & Co. The firm’s international presence and its strong experience in core industries will enable us to support our clients in delivering practical legal HR advice that increases compliance, boosts productivity and is compatible with their local culture.’
Clyde & Co’s chief representative in Shanghai and global management board member, Ik Wei Chong, said: ‘Asia is a strategically important region for Clyde & Co, and China is at the heart of Asia. The addition of Iris and her team will further extend the range of services and support we can provide to our Chinese and international clients.’
In November last year, the firm established a joint law venture in Asia with Chongqing law firm Westlink Partnership to service its international clients with Chinese interests on foreign investment, advisory and employment work in western China.
This came after the firm was granted a licence in May 2013 by China’s Ministry of Justice to open an office in Beijing, marking the firm’s third office in China after Hong Kong and Shanghai.
Jaishree.kalia@legalease.co.uk
