City law firm makes first partner hire in Hong Kong with appointment of former CC senior associate

Ashurst has secured its first partner hire in Hong Kong, with the City law firm recruiting Lina Lee from Clifford Chance (CC) as a corporate partner.

Lee, who was a senior associate at CC specialising in equity capital markets and M&A, will join the firm's Hong Kong office at the end of June.

Hong Kong head and former senior partner, Geoffrey Green, and corporate partner Robert Ogilvy Watson both relocated from London to launch the base earlier this year.
In addition, the firm has two local partners who came across as part of a joint venture with Jackson Woo & Associates – Jackson Woo and Sabrina Fung, who both sit in the corporate practice as partners.

The hire marks a return to Ashurst for Lee, who was previously an associate with the firm in London between 1998 and 2002.

Green told Legal Week: "Our operations so far in Asia have essentially been project finance and energy-focused but, with our move into Hong Kong, it is natural that we should look to the core strengths of the firm. Lina is a class act and we are confident that she will strengthen our China practice."

In addition to Hong Kong, Ashurst has offices in Sinapore and Tokyo. Earlier this year the firm relocated London corporate partner Susan Roy to Singapore – making her the fifth partner in the office.