Hogan Lovells has added a second partner to its Mongolia base with the transfer of City corporate partner Chris Melville to Ulaanbaatar.

Melville, who will relocate from London later this month, advises on M&A, joint ventures and corporate finance across the energy and natural resources sectors.

He has worked on several deals relating to the Russian Federation in recent years, including taking a role on the $2.8bn (£1.8bn) restructuring of aluminium giant RUSAL's debt in 2009.

The news comes nearly two years after Hogan Lovells became the first transatlantic firm to enter the East Asian country by agreeing a formal alliance with Mongolian law firm GTs Advocates. Before the merger between legacy Lovells and Hogan & Hartson, Lovells had had an informal referral relationship with GTs Advocates.

The office is headed up by partner Michael Aldrich, working alongside a trio of associates.

Asia and Middle East managing partner Crispin Rapinet, who played a key role in negotiating the firm's alliance in 2010, commented: "Chris has many years of experience advising clients in emerging markets like Russia, including a period spent there in the late 1990s."

Hogan Lovells is currently advising on a number of foreign direct investment transactions and projects across various sectors including energy and natural resources, as well as financial services.

Last month Clyde & Co has become the latest law firm to enter the Mongolian market via an association with local law firm Khan Lex Advocates. DLA Piper and Minter Ellison have also made forays into the country in the last 18 months, with DLA securing a local alliance and Minter Ellison launching its own base.