Herbert Smith Freehills Seoul managing partner Tony Dymond has left the firm less than nine months after setting up its Korea base.

The litigator has joined Debevoise & Plimpton in London, becoming the sixth litigation patrner in the US firm's City office.

Dymond relocated from London to set up HSF's Korean practice in April this year, heading the office alongside corporate partner Lewis McDonald. McDonald, who heads HSF's corporate practice in Seoul, will assume the role of managing partner.

Dymond has spent the last 20 years in London, Hong Kong and Seoul advising an international client base on multi-jurisdictional disputes. He has a broad commercial practice, with a focus on high-value construction and engineering disputes in the energy and infrastructure sectors.

His hire comes shortly after litigation partner Kevin Lloyd, also from HSF, joined Debevoise in July. Other senior litigators to leave the firm in recent years include Ted Greeno and Martyn Hopper, who joined Quinn Emanuel and Linklaters respectively.

Michael Blair, presiding partner of Debevoise, said: "Tony Dymond is a highly respected lawyer with a truly international practice, and a key addition to our litigation team in London. Tony's arrival also further demonstrates our commitment to provide premier English law advice to our clients."

Meanwhile HSF has promoted Doha based dispute resolution lawyer James Doe to partner in Seoul. Doe will succeed Dymond in the regulatory position of chief representative partner of the office, subject to approval.

Lewis McDonald, HSF Seoul managing partner said: "The next phase of our development will be significantly bolstered by James who has energy, enthusiasm and the perfect skill-set and regional experience for this market. We have recently expanded our corporate team and I expect a busy year ahead as the links between Korea and the rest of the word continue to grow. The links between Korea and Australia will be particularly interesting to watch as the recently concluded Korea / Australia FTA is finalised and implemented."

The other two British law firms with offices in South Korea are magic circle firm Clifford Chance, who opened its base in July 2012, and global outfit DLA Piper, which launched in January this year.