O'Melveny & Myers has bolstered its restructuring and insolvency capabilities with the hire of White & Case partner Mark Fairbairn for the firm's Hong Kong office.

Fairbairn will join the US West Coast firm's restructuring and finance practices to focus on advising clients in North Asia on distressed and alternative high-yield investments, restructuring and insolvency.

This is the second exit from White & Case's Asian practices in recent weeks, with City firm Lovells recruiting energy partner Brad Roach in Singapore at the end of July.

It is also the second hire for O'Melveny's Hong Kong office in recent months. In April it brought in investment funds and securitisation partner Neil Campbell from Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker.

However, April also saw the exit of O'Melveny's Beijing head, M&A heavyweight Howard Zhang. He left for Davis Polk & Wardwell in a rare lateral appointment by the Manhattan leader.

Howard Chao, chairman of O'Melveny's Asia practice, said the hire of Fairbairn was part of a plan to build on the Asian restructuring practice.

"The development of a leading restructuring practice in Asia offers synergies with our global private equity, structured finance, M&A, and funds practices and will help our clients weather the challenges of an increasingly competitive marketplace," he said.

He added: "Mark's arrival expands the breadth of capabilities available to our clients in Asia. His strong reputation is founded on more than 15 years handling innovative restructuring and insolvency matters in Asia."