Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) has reshuffled its China management team with the appointment of former London disputes partner Julian Copeman as Greater China head in the place of former chief Justin D'Agostino.

Copeman, who came to Hong Kong on a six month secondment from the UK last October, will now be based permanently in the city overseeing a team of 300 staff, including 27 partners and 100 other fee-earners, across the firm's offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong.

Having joined HSF in 1992, Copeman is a long serving litigator. In 2010 he represented British Sky Broadcasting Group on its successful claim against IT contractor EDS, while in Asia, he has acted for a group of funds on a joint venture dispute with East Asia Satellite Television relating to a casino project in Macau.

In his new role he will work alongside the firm's managing partner for Asia Mark Johnson, who has been in the job since September 2011, as well as two newly promoted China office heads – Brenda Horrigan in Shanghai and Tom Chauin Beijing.

Meanwhile D'Agostino, who was originally promoted to lead the Greater China offices at the beginning of last year to replace Andrew Tortoishell, has since been made head of the global litigation practice, replacing Sonya Leydecker, who has taken over as the firm's new joint chief executive alongside current managing partner Mark Rigotti.

HSF has undergone a number of changes in its Asia management team in the last year.

In December the firm made Tokyo managing partner Peter Godwin its new head of disputes in Asia in the place of Gavin Lewis, who moved to Linklaters, and in February it lost its head of South East Asian disputes, Maurice Burke, who joined Hogan Lovells.

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