Allen & Overy (A&O) has hired AstraZeneca's China general counsel (GC) as a partner for its intellectual property (IP) practice in Shanghai.

David Shen, who joined AstraZeneca in 2011, was promoted to China GC in 2014. He specialises in patents and patent litigation, and started his career as a research chemist at US pharmaceutical company Bayer.

Brussels partner and global IP head Geert Glas said: "David's appointment, alongside our recent hires in London, are part of our long-term global strategy to grow our IP platform."

A&O made a string of lateral partner hires for its London IP practice last year, including four from Simmons & Simmons. In September, the firm took on Simmons IP partners Mark Heaney and David Stone after hiring the firm's London IP head Marc Doering and patent disputes and regulatory partner Marjan Noor earlier that year.

Earlier this month, A&O recruited Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft Washington DC partners Gregory Mocek and Anthony Mansfield in a boost for its US investigations and litigation practice. Elsewhere, the firm saw a four-lawyer Paris technology team exit this month to join Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, including Paris TMT group head Ahmed Baladi.