Norton Rose's Hong Kong arm has hired the head of corporate from the local office of Koo and Partners, the allied firm of US firm Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker, to strengthen its corporate practice.

Senior corporate finance lawyer Freeman Chan joins Norton Rose as a partner today (2 September) and is qualified in both UK and Hong Kong law.

"There are a lot of good prospects and great opportunities in China so it is important to get the right people and the right team. Freeman is a very experienced and will be a great addition to the office," Norton Rose Hong Kong head David Stannard told Legal Week.

It is a boost for Norton Rose's seven-partner Hong Kong arm, which was reopened this year following the collapse of its formal association with local firm Johnson Stokes & Master in 1998.

The appointment comes after Koo and Partners signed a formal alliance with New York's Paul Hastings on 30 April.

Established in 1993, the 100-lawyer Koo is one of the largest firms based in Hong Kong.

It has previously been allied to London firms Lawrence Graham and Rowe & Maw.

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