DLA Piper has boosted its Greater China finance and projects practice with the hire of a King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) team led by energy partner Carolyn Dong.

The firm, which is seeking to tap outbound Chinese investment in the energy sector, has recruited Dong from KWM in Beijing along with four associates.

Dong, who joined DLA's Hong Kong office last week, has a track record of acting for large, state-owned enterprises and financial institutions in China and the West on energy and resources deals.

She was previously employed as an internal auditor at BP and is also a former senior associate at Clifford Chance in Hong Kong. Her expertise spans foreign direct investment, corporate structuring and corporate governance in addition to finance and M&A work.

Dong will be based in DLA's Hong Kong office alongside one of the associates, while the other three will be based at DLA Piper in Beijing.

Bob Charlton, DLA's Asia managing partner commented: "Our firm remains focused on supporting the energy & resources and finance & projects markets in the Asia-Pacific region.

"We believe the addition of Carolyn and this strong team will significantly strengthen the firm's relationships with major Chinese energy companies and add value to our clients' strategies in outbound investments."

DLA Piper currently has a large number of offices in Asia, covering key markets including Hong Kong, Beijing, and Shanghai, Japan, Thailand, Singapore and Australia.