Chinese law firm Fangda Partners has hired Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer's head of antitrust for China, Michael Han, to join its Beijing office.

Han, who is currently based with Freshfields in the Chinese capital, is the second partner to leave the magic circle firm for Fangda in the last two years, with litigation partner Peter Yuen exiting in 2012 to launch the PRC outfit's Hong Kong office.

He is also the third partner to leave Freshfields in Asia so far this year, after Mark Parsons and Howard Lam, both of whom left the firm's Hong Kong office to work for Hogan Lovells and Latham & Watkins respectively.

Han is expected to move across to Fangda in August or September of this year, though a date has not been finalised.

Joining Freshfields in 2002, he was a significant hire for the firm, having previously worked for China's Ministry of Commerce (Mofcom). He has since focused on the competition and regulatory aspects of cross-border M&A related to China.

The move comes as increasingly more Chinese firms hire international experts to develop and enhance their practices.

Last year Norton Rose Fulbright's former Beijing office head Peter Burrows joined Chinese start up DaHui Lawyers, while in January Dechert's Hong Kong managing partner Basil Hwang moved to Zhong Lun's associated office in the city.

Meanwhile, in a statement on the hire, Fangda said it was interested in working closer with Freshfields on specific client matters given Han's relationship with the UK firm, though it made clear there was no formal agreement in place.

Fangda currently has more than 250 lawyers, 100 of whom are based in Beijing. In Hong Kong it has 15 lawyers, including three partners. 

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