Clifford Chance (CC) has named Andrew Whan as the firm's new Tokyo corporate head, following the departure of partner Alan Kitchin.

Corporate finance partner Whan has relocated to Tokyo from Hong Kong to take up the new post.

News of his move comes after legal website RollonFriday reported earlier today (26 August) that Kitchin had left CC at the end of July – little more than a year after joining.

Kitchin joined CC in February 2010 from Ashurst, where he founded the Tokyo office in 1990 – going on to manage the base until 2002. He also headed Ashurst's Asia practice between 1998 and 2002.

Whan has been a partner at CC since 2006. He acts for leading private equity funds and financial and corporate investors on private and public M&A transactions across the Asia-Pacific region.

His recent Japanese transactions include advising NEC Corporation on its joint venture with Lenovo Group in July, creating the largest PC company in Japan, covering nearly 25% of the country's PC market.

A spokesperson for the firm said: "We can confirm that Alan left Clifford Chance at the end of July. We wish him well in the future."

Earlier this month Legal Week reported that CC was strengthening its London high-yield offering with the relocation of a partner from New York.

Tony Lopez will become the fifth partner with capacity to advise on high yield deals in the firm's Canary Wharf team, which also has 14 associates.