As Hong Kong becomes gateway to the world’s biggest trader in goods after China overtook the US for the first time in 2013, the region continues to see high profile lateral moves, most recently from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer to Hogan Lovells, which has hired the Magic Circle firm’s regional head of intellectual property (IP), IT and technology media and telecoms (TMT), Mark Parsons.
In his new role, Parsons will focus on complex commercial transactions and regulatory matters in the TMT sector and is expected to join his new 2,527-lawyer firm at the end of January 2014.
The hire is a significant boost for Hogan Lovells’ TMT group in Asia after partner Gabriela Kennedy left to join Mayer Brown JSM in October 2013 to head its IP and TMT practice across Asia.
Parsons comes with experience of negotiation in multi-jurisdictional outsourcing, technology licensing and distribution agreements, as well as advising on commercial matters in the internet and e-commerce space. He also advises on telecommunications, media and data privacy regulations. Parsons was promoted to the partnership at Freshfields in May 2012 after he became counsel in 2008.
Peter Watts and Robert Waldman, global co-heads of the Hogan Lovells’ commercial practice said: ‘Mark is a leading practitioner in the TMT sector and he brings a unique blend of genuine commercial, corporate and sector experience that perfectly aligns with our practice both in Asia and globally.
‘Mark’s arrival in our TMT sector team comes shortly after that of LA-based media and entertainment partner Sheri Jeffrey, who also has a significant Asian component to her practice. This underlines our commitment to further enhance our market leading capability serving the TMT sector in Asia and across our global network.’
In another high profile international TMT hire, top 40 UK firm Olswang has strengthened its German practice with the hire of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe’s IP/IT head Andreas Splittgerber, in a bid to expand the firm’s European data protection and sourcing practices.
Splittgerber specialises in sourcing projects, data protection law and IT security compliance and has experience in licensing, distribution, consultancy and outsourcing agreements as well as social media law.
Olswang data protection head Ross McKean said: ‘Germany is a key region for our data protection practice. It has some of the most advanced data protection laws in the world and many of the concepts in the draft General Data Protection Regulation mirror existing German data laws. Andreas brings extensive experience of data, sourcing, e-commerce and technology law and has a truly global perspective having worked for many years at US-headquartered law firms, including a stint in the Silicon Valley.’
jaishree.kalia@legalease.co
