DLA Piper has added to its China corporate practice with the hire of Minter Ellison's Shanghai office head.

Wan Li, who was promoted to partner at the Australian law firm in 2005, joined DLA today (12 January) to lead the firm's Shanghai corporate practice. He has a broad corporate practice with a special focus on the natural resources and energy sectors.

DLA Piper's Greater China corporate head Mabel Lui said: "We are bolstering our corporate practice in response to growing demand for inbound and outbound opportunities and investment in Greater China."

However, the news comes as DLA Piper's Asia practice has also lost a partner to K&L Gates' in one of two dispute resolution hires for the firm.

K&L Gates has recruited DLA partner Michael Pollen in Singapore, while Malleson Stephen Jaques partner Christopher Tung joins the US firm in Hong Kong.

Pollen's disputes practice is specifically geared towards the shipping and oil and gas sectors, while Tung specialises in building, infrastructure, clean energy and carbon finance projects.

Pollen's move to K&L Gates follows that of DLA Piper's Singapore-based partner Kevin Murphy to launch the office last year. UK top 10 firm Eversheds also called on a DLA Piper partner to launch a Singapore office last year, with the hire of its former Singapore office head Desmond Ong in January.

K&L Gates launched its Singapore arbitration practice with the hire of Watson Farley & Williams Singapore litigation and arbitration head Raja Bose in August last year.