DLA Piper has strengthened its Hong Kong real estate practice with the hire of partner Ed Sheremeta from Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom.

Sheremeta, who was previously head of the Asia real estate group for Skadden, joins to work alongside the firm's other real estate partner in Hong Kong, Susheela Rivers.

Specialising in real estate investment both in the equity and finance space, Sheremeta advises on acquisitions and institutional investments, REITs, asset and property management and the establishment of real estate joint ventures. His clients include major investment banks and real estate funds in the region.

Prior to working for Skadden, he was vice president on the commercial real estate lending team at Morgan Stanley in Tokyo.

Commenting on the hire, Olaf Schmidt, partner and International head of real estate at DLA said: "Asia is increasing in prominence in the global property markets as it continues to attract high levels of investor interest.

"Real estate is a key focus for DLA Piper and Ed's experience and skills will be a great asset to our existing offering in Asia. His appointment represents an exciting development for our business and underlines our commitment to the real estate sector and the broader Asia-Pacific region."

DLA Piper currently has seven offices in Asia, in addition to a presence in five Australian locations.

Earlier this year, the UK outfit also added to its finance and projects practice in Greater China with the hire of a five-strong King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) team led by energy partner Carolyn Dong.

On the capital markets side, DLA has made cuts due to the current dearth of Hong Kong IPOs, letting go of approximately 10 associates in January.