Holman Fenwick Willan has launched a construction practice in Hong Kong with the hire of Mayer Brown JSM partner Nick Longley.

Longley joined the firm as a partner on 1 January 2011 alongside Mayer Brown associate Richard Lyons and Vincent Liu, who joins from Minter Ellison.

Longley, who specialises in construction and engineering law, has been a partner since 2007 and previously practised in Hong Kong, Melbourne and London. His hire takes the total number of partners in Holman Fenwick's Hong Kong office to 11.

Holman Fenwick commercial litigation partner Noel Campbell said: "Construction and engineering disputes have always formed a part of our practice in London. Over recent years we have sought to recruit in this area in a number of our offices in order to expand our global practice. Our recent recruitment of Nick in Hong Kong is part of this push.

"Our investment into the construction sector in Australia and Dubai over the past year has paid off and we will be looking to continue this growth."

The news follows the hire of Rhys Lewis for Holman Fenwick's corporate practice in Dubai last month. Lewis joined the firm as a partner from his own consultancy firm.

The firm lost a six-strong team corporate finance team from its Singapore arm in November 2010 to Berwin Leighton Paisner led by practice head Alistair Duffield.