King & Spalding has added to its Asia team with the hire of Kirkland & Ellis corporate finance partner Ye Cecilia Hong in New York.

Hong, who worked at Kirkland for eight years in the city and before that for Coudert Brothers in Beijing, focuses on complex, broad-based financing transactions and is expected to grow the firm's practice in the US as well as Asia.

"We are looking to actively grow our New York finance capabilities and believe that Cecilia is a natural fit for our practice," said the head of the financial institutions group William Fuller.

"She adds distressed-financing and restructuring depth to our team – particularly on the private equity sponsor-side – and she handles borrower-side representations as well."

King & Spalding currently has a significant US and Middle Eastern presence but just one office in Asia, located in Singapore, with eight partners.

However, the Atlanta firm has gradually been building its presence in the region with several key hires in the last two years.

Among the recruits were oil and gas specialist Merrick White, who joined from Clifford Chance in October 2012, a team of lawyers in Singapore from Wikborg Rein in December of that year, including the Norwegian firm's global projects head Kelly Malone, and King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) disputes partner Peter Megens in April 2013.

The firm's Asia head John Savage said there are currently no plans for a China office, but this could come under consideration in the future.

Core practices in Asia are energy, disputes and projects work.