A trio of international firms have set their sights on Asia with Heller Ehrman, Bryan Cave and Taylor Wessing all announcing expansion in the region over the past week.

Heller has recruited former DLA Piper Asia head Nick Seddon to manage its operations in the area, Bryan Cave has brought in a new partner for its Hong Kong office, while Taylor Wessing is set to open an office in Beijing.

Seddon, who is currently on gardening leave, will join Heller's Hong Kong office in the early summer. He will take over from Jonathan Palmer in heading up the four-office Asian network, with Palmer set to return to the US after three years at the helm.

Seddon's move comes after Alastair Da Costa replaced him as DLA Piper's Asian chief earlier this year, with Seddon announcing his intention to leave the firm late last year.

Larry Keeshan, Heller Ehrman's executive committee member responsible for international practices, told Legal Week: "It is good to have someone of that stature on the ground and it is an advantage for us [to have a permanent managing partner for Asia] as it increases stability."

Heller operates offices in Hong Kong, Beijing, Singapore and Shanghai, having opened the latter office at the start of this year.

Meanwhile, Bryan Cave has moved to rebuild its Hong Kong office with the hire of a senior partner from rival US law firm Hogan & Hartson. The firm is bringing in corporate and
commercial partner Mao Tong, who was co-managing partner of Hogan's Hong Kong branch and helped to launch the office in 2005.

News of the appointment comes after Bryan Cave lost Hong Kong managing partner Mary Ellen Hutton to UK private client leader Withers earlier this year.

UK firm Taylor Wessing is planning its second practice in mainland China with the firm set to launch in Beijing. It already has a small base in Shanghai. Munich-based Florian Ranft, who heads the firm's China practice, will manage the office when it opens.

Michael Frawley, managing partner of Taylor Wessing UK, said: "As we cannot practise Chinese law, the whole point behind these offices is to represent Chinese clients in Europe or European clients coming into China."

Meanwhile, in a separate move in the region, Singapore's Drew & Napier is absorbing a tax advisory boutique led by name partner Ong Sim Ho. The firm – which last year ended its seven-year joint venture with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer when the UK firm decided to shut up shop in Singapore – is also planning to expand its M&A practice.

With European and US law firms more optimistic about prospects in Asia, the firms are the latest in a raft to expand in the region recently. Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom last month launched a new office in Shanghai with the relocation of corporate partner Gregory Miao, who previously split his time between Hong Kong and Beijing.