Nixon Peabody has hired a former Heller Ehrman partner to head up its China practice.

Henry Liu, who formerly headed up Heller's China desk, will split his time between China and New York, overseeing the firm's China practice, which opened in Shanghai in 2007.

Liu's background includes a spell in investment banking as well as well as a role as general counsel and director-general at the China Securities Regulatory Commission between 1995 and 2000.

Nixon Peabody chairman Harry Trueheart said: "This key recruitment further demonstrates our commitment to building up premier global practices. Our clients around the world will benefit from Henry experience with business, finance and how rules and regulations work in China and Asia."

"Our China and Asia practice will gain from his veteran knowledge of successful building and managing country practices in the past," he added.

Last September, Heller's Asia head Nick Seddon quit the US firm to launch Eversheds' Hong Kong office just before Heller went bust. Seddon's move came just seven months after he joined Heller in March 2008 from DLA Piper.

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