Kirkland & Ellis has launched a restructuring practice in Asia with the hire of Hogan Lovells' head of insolvency for the region, Neil McDonald, and another partner from the team Damien Coles.

The Chicago-headquartered firm, which already has a 100-lawyer restructuring team in the US and Europe, is expanding it's capability into Asia as an add-on to its existing 22-partner corporate group and bolster relationships with regional private equity clients.

McDonald, who will be based in Hong Kong, is ranked band 1 by Chambers & Partners and acts for financial institutions, insolvency appointment holders, turnaround management firms, hedge funds and private equity firms advising on all aspects of financial distress.

His focus is typically consensual workouts, shareholder disputes, liquidations and receiverships, though he also advises on litigation and acquisitions of distressed businesses and assets.

He will move to Kirkland alongside Hong Kong restructuring partner Damien Coles, who joined Hogan Lovells just last month from O'Melveny & Myers.

"We have considered opportunities for a restructuring practice in Asia for some time," said corporate partner Nick Norris. "We have a strong practice globally and Neil is clearly top of the market, so will fit in well.

"We see it as complimentary to our existing M&A, PE and finance practice in Asia and think it will reinforce our relationship with private equity and hedge funds. Having an on-the-ground capability to advise on distressed situations will hopefully help us develop these relationships further."

Kirkland recently relocated three private equity lawyers from Hong Kong to London – including its head of the Asia practice group and founding managing partner in Hong Kong David Eich.

Norris said the departures were not related to a shift in focus in Asia – where the firm has three offices located in Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong – but to support a busy team in London.

He added that the firm was continuing to build out in Greater China and that commercial litigation capability could also be on the cards. Currently the firm has one disputes partner – Sam Williamson – based in Shanghai, whose focus is white collar, FCPA and anti-bribery matters.

"The core focus remains unchanged in that we're looking to be a top corporate and transactional practice strong in capital markets, M&A, funds and private equity."

Meanwhile, Hogan Lovells has recruited Kirkland M&A partner Steven Tran as part of a wider strategy to grow its existing corporate offering in Asia.

Earlier this year the UK firm's Asia head Patrick Sherrington said he was eyeing 10% revenue growth in the region, which he hoped to achieve partly by boosting the firm's mainstream corporate team.