Linklaters has made a key hire for its Hong Kong litigation team with the addition of Herbert Smith Freehills' former Asia disputes head Gavin Lewis.

Lewis, who is top rated for China disputes and contentious regulatory work, is expected to join the magic circle firm's Hong Kong base in November or December this year, bringing the total number of disputes partners in the office to to four.

Lewis joined legacy Herbert Smith in London in 1996, before moving to Hong Kong in 1998. He made partner in 2001 and from 2006 spent two years as a managing director at UBS in Hong Kong, before returning to Herbert Smith in 2008. He was appointed as head of the firm's Asia dispute resolution practice in 2011.