Slaughter and May is set to tighten its relationships with local firms in Asia, with the firm planning to increase secondments to the region and send lawyers to Korea for the first time.

The elite law firm is aiming to increase its lawyer secondments across Asia in general but particularly in Japan – where it works with firms including Anderson Mori & Tomotsune and Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu – and South Korea, where despite links with Kim & Chang and Shin & Kim the firm has not carried out secondments to date.

The initiative comes as Slaughters moves to strengthen ties with firms across Asia, as the region becomes an increasingly dominant global economic power.

Next month it will hold its annual meeting with Asian referral firms, which include China's Jun He. The meeting, which will focus on sharing knowledge and best practice, will also be attended by some firms outside of Slaughters' referral network.

Slaughters practice partner Paul Olney commented: "It is probably fair to say that Asian firms have a wider range of working relationships than some European firms and, in many cases, have undergone considerable growth in both capacity and the range of expertise they can deliver. Given the increasing interest from our clients in Asia we need to continue to foster our relationships with the leading Asian firms."

Slaughters does not have any exclusive referral relationships across Asia; however, other firms it works with include Allens Arthur Robinson in Australia and Amarchand & Mangaldas & Suresh A Shroff & Co in India.

Slaughters' Hong Kong corporate partner Lisa Chung is set to relocate to Beijing next month to replace retiring partner George Goulding as head of the office, with Slaughters also relocating London corporate partner David Watkins to Hong Kong.