Olswang has hired Ashurst corporate partner Toby Grainger to join the firm in Singapore.

Grainger's practice focuses on investment and M&A transactions within the financial services sector.

The new addition will bring Olswang's Singapore office partner head count to five. The office, which opened in 2012, is currently the firm's only Asia base.

Olswang's chief executive officer Paul Stevens said that the firm now had "an established brand in South-East Asia" and his vision was "to deepen the bench strength" of its practices in the region.

Grainger is the latest departure from Ashurst this year. In June Tokyo managing partner John McClenahan left to open King & Spalding's Japan base, alongside Tokyo finance partner Mark Davies and Tokyo dispute resolution partner Chris Bailey.

The news came only a day after the firm announced a re-shuffle of its Asia management, which saw corporate partner Lina Lee appointed as managing partner of its Hong Kong base and corporate and projects partner Rupert Burrows selected as managing partner of Tokyo.

However, the firm has also made hires in the region adding Hong Kong debt capital markets partner Jini Lee from Linklaters in October. A spokesperson for the firm said Ashurst's Asia arm was in "expansion mode".

Last year the firm hired three partners from O'Melvany and Myers' Singapore base.

Olswang has also seen departures in recent months. In October 13 partners left its Berlin office "by mutual agreement" as the firm looked to focus its German offering on its Munich operations. The firm has also downsized its Madrid office.