Osborne Clarke (OC) is expanding into Asia with the hire of two Hong Kong partners from Bird & Bird.

The firm has recruited Marcus Vass, the head of Bird & Bird's communications, media and technology group in Hong Kong and China, alongside transactional group partner John Koh, who will establish a new law firm in Hong Kong. The new venture will work with OC under a strategic alliance.

Vaas has been at Bird & Bird since 2004, when he joined from Norton Rose, where he led the Hong Kong technology, media and telecoms team, while Koh was made up to partner at Bird & Bird in 2012 in an out-of-season promotions round. Both are still agreeing their exit terms with Bird & Bird.

The expansion comes after two US office launches for OC in the last year, with the firm moving into San Francisco this March and Manhattan last October. The new bases came on the back of a sustained period of European growth for OC, including openings in Paris, Brussels and Hamburg.

OC global CEO Simon Beswick said: "We have been planning on supporting clients in a number of industry sectors on their legal needs in Asia for some time. Marcus' expertise in advising clients operating in digital business market as well as other industries fits perfectly into our sector approach."

Beswick's current three-year term as global CEO runs until next summer, while his third and final term as UK managing partner ends on 31 December this year, 11 years after he first took the job. A vote on his replacement is expected this November.