Ashurst has hired three partners in Asia and Australia, in a boost for the firm's corporate practice in the region.

In Hong Kong, the firm has taken on Linklaters China capital markets partner Chik Pui Hong. Chik relocates from the magic circle firm's office in Beijing, where his practice focused on advising Chinese companies on listings, offerings and related transactions on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Last year, he represented Hong Kong-listed Chinese insurer PICC Property and Casualty on a $4bn (£3.2bn) acquisition of shares in Hua Xia Bank from Deutsche Bank. In 2015, he also advised China International Capital as the financial adviser to the $26bn (£20.7bn) merger between state-owned train makers China CNR and CSR.

Chik joined Linklaters from Baker McKenzie's office in the Chinese capital in 2012. He had spent 12 years at Bakers, making partner in 2007. Earlier in his career, he practiced at legacy Herbert Smith and legacy Johnson Stokes & Master.

His arrival at Ashurst closely follows the departures of former Hong Kong managing partner Lina Lee and fellow partner Jonathan Hsui to Allen & Overy in September, both of who had Hong Kong exchange-related practices similar to Chik's.

Betting on Chik's work with the Chinese state-owned sector, Ashurst hopes to unlock a new set of state-owned clients in China. Chik will work alongside Hong Kong-based Asia corporate practice head Stuart Rubin, who covers the US law aspect of equity capital markets deals.

Meanwhile, in Melbourne, the firm has recruited M&A partners John Brewster and Shane Kyriakou from Clayton Utz and Herbert Smith Freehills respectively. Brewster had been with Clayton Utz since 2007, having made partner in 2015. Kyriakou, a legacy Freehills partner, specialises in deals in the energy and infrastructure sector.

In October last year, Ashurst appointed Hong Kong debt capital markets partner Nigel Pridmore as Asia practice head after former Asia managing partner Matthew Bubb stepped down earlier in the year. Pridmore joined the firm in Hong Kong in 2014 from Linklaters, where he was based in London.

For Linklaters, Chik is the latest in a spate of China-focused partners to have left the firm's Hong Kong and Beijing offices in recent years. Notable departures include corporate partners Betty Yap and Judie Shortell, who both joined Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison; finance partner Thomas Ng, who left for Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer; M&A partners Christopher Kelly and Peggy Wang, who both joined White & Case; finance partner David Irvine, who left for Kirkland & Ellis; and corporate partner Teresa Ma, who retired from the firm.