Ashurst has added to its finance team in Hong Kong with the hire of debt capital markets partner Nigel Pridmore, previously with Linklaters in London.

Pridmore is understood to have left the magic circle firm in January, having worked for them since 1998, and just months after the departure of another London-based capital markets partner Francis Kucera – who also moved to Ashurst but in London.

Pridmore has spent time in Asia previously, relocating to Hong Kong in 2006 to help boost the China group and returning to London in 2010.

He specialises in advising investment banks, corporations and sovereigns on equity-linked debt, Renminbi denominated bonds, sovereign debt and accounting-driven corporate hybrid bonds.

He is the second corporate partner to leave Linklaters in Asia in the last year following the move of India practice head Arun Balasubramanian to Freshfields Bruckhause Deringer in Singapore.

However, the firm has made a number lateral hires on the contentious side, including the recruitment of ex-Allen & Overy partner David Kidd and Herbert Smith Freehills Asia disputes head Gavin Lewis.

Pridmore's jump to Ashurst comes as the firm tries to bolster is capital markets team globally, also taking on Derwin Jenkinson from Clifford Chance in London last January.

The hire of Kucera was also significant, Kucera having co-lead Linklaters' CEE and CIS desks and been co-managing partner of Linklaters' Warsaw office from London for approximately four years.