The Asia Transfer Window is a regular round-up of recent legal moves in Asia Pacific. Please send all announcements to: [email protected]

Latham & Watkins has hired Goldman Sachs executive director and senior counsel Du Yilong to join the firm as a partner in Hong Kong.

Yilong has experience working on equity capital markets in mainland China, Hong Kong and the US as well as cross-border M&A transactions. At Goldman he led the legal work for most of the bank's investment banking transactions in China. He previously worked as an associate at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett before leaving the US firm for Goldman Sachs in 2009.

Ashurst has strengthened its debt capital markets team with the appointment of Jini Lee as a partner in its Hong Kong-based securities & derivatives group. Lee has joined the firm from Linklaters and has experience in advising both issuers and underwriters in bond transactions, liability management exercises and equity-linked transactions.

She is qualified as a solicitor in Hong Kong, England and Wales and as an advocate and solicitor in Singapore.

Sidley Austin has expanded its corporate finance practice in Beijing with the hire of Kirkland & Ellis partner Mengyu Lu.

Lu specialises in advising Chinese companies and underwriters in Hong Kong IPOs as well as mergers and acquisitions and post-listing compliance matters. Most recently she acted on $3.1bn share placement of China Galaxy Securities Co.

In Shanghai Reed Smith has hired corporate partner Alexander Fischer from professional services firm Roedl & Partner. Fischer's practice focuses on M&A, foreign direct investment and investigations.

The hire is the second in recent months for the firm's China practice, which saw the addition of Hong Kong corporate partner Gregory Wang from Morrison & Foerster in September.

Independent Hong Kong firm Howse Williams Bowers has boosted its dispute resolution practice with the hire of Gall Solicitors partner Michael Withington.

Withington's practice includes professional indemnity insurance claims, employment matters and regulatory disputes. He spent 10 years working at legacy Herbert Smith prior to joining Galls.

Withers has hired Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) partner Tahirah Ara in Singapore. Ara specialises in commercial agreements, syndicated loans and cross-border banking.

In addition BLP South East Asia managing partner Alistair Duffield has announced his retirement from the partnership and left the firm at the end of October. In a statement the firm said that it was in growth mode and would continue to recruit under the management of Asia head Bob Charlton.

Kirkland & Ellis has grown its restructuring practice in Hong Kong hiring boutique litigation firm Lipman Karas principal and former Hogan Lovells partner Kelly Naphtali.

She is the third restructuring partner the US firm has hired in Hong Kong after launching the practice in September last year with ex- Hogan Lovells partners Neil McDonald and Damien Cole. Naphtali's practice focuses on cross-border litigation and insolvency. She is dual qualified in Australia and Hong Kong.

K&L Gates has bolstered its intellectual property capabilities with the appointment of Naomi Pearce as a partner in the firm's Sydney office. Prior to joining K&L Gates Pearce ran her own consultancy business Pearce IP Strategy and has worked in house for several pharmaceutical companies.

The firm has also hired corporate partner Jeremy Prentice from domestic firm Holding Redlich in Brisbane. Prentice focuses on large-scale finance-driven project structures.

Ropes & Gray has hired Weil Gotshal & Manges corporate counsel Jieni Gu to join the firm as a partner in Shanghai. Gu is experienced in cross-border M&A, private equity, foreign direct investment, and general corporate matters.

Asia managing partner Arthur Mok said the hire would add depth to the firm's M&A practice, particularly with respect to China out-bound private sector transactions.

The Asia Transfer Window is a regular round-up of recent legal moves in Asia Pacific. Please send all announcements to: [email protected]

Latham & Watkins has hired Goldman Sachs executive director and senior counsel Du Yilong to join the firm as a partner in Hong Kong.

Yilong has experience working on equity capital markets in mainland China, Hong Kong and the US as well as cross-border M&A transactions. At Goldman he led the legal work for most of the bank's investment banking transactions in China. He previously worked as an associate at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett before leaving the US firm for Goldman Sachs in 2009.

Ashurst has strengthened its debt capital markets team with the appointment of Jini Lee as a partner in its Hong Kong-based securities & derivatives group. Lee has joined the firm from Linklaters and has experience in advising both issuers and underwriters in bond transactions, liability management exercises and equity-linked transactions.

She is qualified as a solicitor in Hong Kong, England and Wales and as an advocate and solicitor in Singapore.

Sidley Austin has expanded its corporate finance practice in Beijing with the hire of Kirkland & Ellis partner Mengyu Lu.

Lu specialises in advising Chinese companies and underwriters in Hong Kong IPOs as well as mergers and acquisitions and post-listing compliance matters. Most recently she acted on $3.1bn share placement of China Galaxy Securities Co.

In Shanghai Reed Smith has hired corporate partner Alexander Fischer from professional services firm Roedl & Partner. Fischer's practice focuses on M&A, foreign direct investment and investigations.

The hire is the second in recent months for the firm's China practice, which saw the addition of Hong Kong corporate partner Gregory Wang from Morrison & Foerster in September.

Independent Hong Kong firm Howse Williams Bowers has boosted its dispute resolution practice with the hire of Gall Solicitors partner Michael Withington.

Withington's practice includes professional indemnity insurance claims, employment matters and regulatory disputes. He spent 10 years working at legacy Herbert Smith prior to joining Galls.

Withers has hired Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) partner Tahirah Ara in Singapore. Ara specialises in commercial agreements, syndicated loans and cross-border banking.

In addition BLP South East Asia managing partner Alistair Duffield has announced his retirement from the partnership and left the firm at the end of October. In a statement the firm said that it was in growth mode and would continue to recruit under the management of Asia head Bob Charlton.

Kirkland & Ellis has grown its restructuring practice in Hong Kong hiring boutique litigation firm Lipman Karas principal and former Hogan Lovells partner Kelly Naphtali.

She is the third restructuring partner the US firm has hired in Hong Kong after launching the practice in September last year with ex- Hogan Lovells partners Neil McDonald and Damien Cole. Naphtali's practice focuses on cross-border litigation and insolvency. She is dual qualified in Australia and Hong Kong.

K&L Gates has bolstered its intellectual property capabilities with the appointment of Naomi Pearce as a partner in the firm's Sydney office. Prior to joining K&L Gates Pearce ran her own consultancy business Pearce IP Strategy and has worked in house for several pharmaceutical companies.

The firm has also hired corporate partner Jeremy Prentice from domestic firm Holding Redlich in Brisbane. Prentice focuses on large-scale finance-driven project structures.

Ropes & Gray has hired Weil Gotshal & Manges corporate counsel Jieni Gu to join the firm as a partner in Shanghai. Gu is experienced in cross-border M&A, private equity, foreign direct investment, and general corporate matters.

Asia managing partner Arthur Mok said the hire would add depth to the firm's M&A practice, particularly with respect to China out-bound private sector transactions.