A&O Hong Kong corporate partner set to join MoFo
Vivian Yiu due to depart after 10 years at the firm as the trend of magic circle Asia partner exits to US firms continues
March 14, 2016 at 12:03 AM
3 minute read
Allen & Overy (A&O) corporate partner Vivian Yiu is set to join US firm Morrison & Foerster in Hong Kong after 10 years at the firm.
Yiu joined A&O's Hong Kong office as an associate in 2006 and was made up to partner in 2012. She is qualified in both Chinese and UK law and completed her traineeship at Clifford Chance.
An A&O spokesperson confirmed Yiu is leaving the firm. He added: "We would like to thank her for the contribution she has made during her time at Allen & Overy and wish her all the best for the future."
During her time at A&O, Yiu led the team advising on the $1.5bn-$2bn (£980m-£1.3bn) initial public offering (IPO) of Beijing-based Sinopec Engineering, a subsidiary of Asia's biggest oil refiner Sinopec Group. A&O acted for the issuer while Kirkland & Ellis advised the banks.
Yiu has also advised Bank of China, Dutch oilfield services company Schlumberger and Chinese broker Everbright Securities.
Legal Week understands she will be joining MoFo following her departure from A&O but the timing of her arrival at MoFo is not yet clear. On joining the firm she will be reunited with former A&O corporate partner Jeremy Hunt who has worked in MoFo's corporate practice as a partner since 2012.
There have been a handful of exits from A&O's Hong Kong office in recent years following a restructuring in 2012 which cut the local partnership by 20%.
Capital markets partner Walter Son departed in October. His next career move remains unknown.
In January this year fellow capital markets partner David Kuo left to join Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy's Hong Kong office.
Kuo joined several US-qualified A&O alumni, including partner Jim Grandolfo, counsel Paul Pery, and associates Kurtis Sherwood and Adam Heyd, who also left the US group of the magic circle firm at the end of 2013.
Linklaters has been the magic circle firm hardest hit by exits in Asia of late.
Last month, it emerged that corporate partners Betty Yap (Hong Kong) and Judie Ng Shortell (Beijing) – are both set to join US rival Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison.
Overall 12 partners have left Linklaters in Asia since January 2015, half of whom have joined US firms.
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