Norton Rose has recruited M&A partner Andrew Lucas from Baker & McKenzie for its corporate practice in Bangkok.

Lucas, who was previously based in Bakers' Beijing office, is joining Norton Rose's Thailand office today (15 October) to help boost the firm's corporate capabilities in the country.

To date he has worked on a wide range of corporate, finance and restructuring deals throughout Europe and Asia, including M&A deals and financings, outbound investments, joint ventures and equity capital market transactions.

With Norton Rose he will continue his focus on M&A, in addition to energy, mining and oil and gas work.

"Andrew's appointment comes at an exciting time for us in Bangkok as activity in M&A continues to build," said Jeff Smith, head of South East Asia for Norton Rose.

"He will provide a valuable resource in Bangkok for clients seeking to expand abroad and make an impact at a global level."

Across Asia, Norton Rose currently has offices in Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong; Tokyo, Singapore and Thailand. It also has a partnership in Indonesia with Susandarini & Partners, and a number of offices across Australia through its earlier merger with local firm Deacons.

The firm has no imminent plans to open new offices in the region, but has made clear its plans to boost the number of partners in existing practice areas across its key markets.

Indonesia and Beijing will be of particular importance in the coming year, with the firm expecting to grow from 21 partners to 30 in Jakarta, and to significantly increase its headcount in the Chinese capital.