Traditionally phobic to partner hires, Slaughter and May has recruited in Hong Kong again almost a year after its previous move in the jurisdiction, this time recruiting Jing Chen as partner from the Listing Division of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX).
Chen re-joins the firm having been a trainee solicitor at Slaughters in 2006, before spending eight years as an associate advising on M&A and capital markets following qualification.
Chen had initially been seconded to the HKEX but the move became permanent in 2017. While there, he acted on a range of initiatives, including the introduction of the new listing regimes for pre-revenue biotech companies and companies with weighted voting rights.
Peter Brien, senior partner of the Hong Kong office, commented: ‘We are really pleased to welcome Jing Chen back to the firm as a partner. He is a first-class practitioner and his time at the Listing Division will serve him well as he draws on his regulatory and market knowledge for the direct benefit of our clients in Asia’
In April of last year, the firm hired investigations and litigation lawyer Wynne Mok to its Hong Kong office from the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission. Mok became the third lateral in the firm’s history, having previously broke the duck four years prior with another Hong Kong appointment in John Moore. The second hire came from Herbert Smith Freehills in the City, with pensions partner Daniel Schaffer joining the firm. Chen meanwhile will take up his position in April.
Slaughters also announced one partner promotion in the City today (20 March), with finance associate Harry Bacon being made up from May, having been at the firm as a trainee since 2009.
thomas.alan@legalbusiness.co.uk
