Stephenson Harwood has hired Clyde & Co's Beijing chief representative Lynia Lau to lead its energy and resources practice in Asia from the Chinese capital.

Lau, who joined Clydes from King & Wood Mallesons in 2012, was one of two partners in Clydes' Beijing office working alongside ex-Clifford Chance partner and arbitration lawyer Patrick Zheng, who managed the office. Clydes opened in Beijing in May 2013 to tap outbound deals, and has since launched a fourth China office in Chongqing.

Stephenson Harwood's managing partner for Asia, Voon Keat Lai, said he was confident that the Asian energy practice would grow "dramatically" under Lau's leadership given her experience working with China's state-owned enterprises, which have been splashing their cash on energy investments abroad.

Prior to qualifying as a lawyer, Lau worked in senior commercial roles at BP and Sinopec, and has since advised on a number of large and complex energy and infrastructure transactions.

Last year she acted for the partially state-owned PRC conglomerate China Merchant Holdings on the development of the $10bn Bagamoyo Special Economic Zone project in Tanzania, and has also previously advised the governments involved in the multi-billion Hong Kong – Zhuhai – Macau Bridge project.

Her move to Stephenson Harwood comes as the firm continues to ramp up its Asia investment.

It launched the Beijing office early last year, while in April it formed a Formal Law Alliance (FLA) in Singapore with local firm Virtus Law.

The UK outfit has since hired DLA's Korean practice head Michael Kim and opened an office in Seoul, while making clear its plans to consider a local tie up in China amid the closure of its office in Guangzhou.