Clyde & Co Beijing managing partner Patrick Zheng has joined Shanghai-based Llinks Law Offices as head of dispute resolution.

Before arriving at Clydes in 2014 as Beijing managing partner, Zheng co-led the Greater China international arbitration practice for Clifford Chance (CC). He also practiced as a litigator with legacy Herbert Smith in Beijing prior to joining the magic circle firm in 2011.

An international arbitration and cross-border dispute resolution specialist, Zheng has served as counsel and arbitrator on cases before institutions such as the Hong Kong International Arbitration Center and the London Court of International Arbitration.

Zheng will be expected to help Llinks develop its Chinese clients' outbound disputes practice, including international commercial arbitration and litigation.

He is the latest in a spate of Chinese-born lawyers moving from international to domestic firms.

In January, Shanghai-based Fangda Partners – a firm that reported $136.5m in revenue in 2016 – announced that it had hired longtime Linklaters partner and China head Fang Jian.

Beijing-based Han Kun also has been notably active in the Asia lateral market. Last year, it convinced former CC financial regulatory partner Yang Tiecheng to make a move and join the Chinese firm with most of his team in Beijing and Shanghai. And that was after the firm's earlier recruitment of former White & Case China chief Li Xiaoming.

Despite its relatively small size – Llinks reported that it had 75 lawyers firmwide in 2016 – the firm is one of the most profitable domestic firms in China; the Shanghai-based firm reported $970,000 in profit per partner in 2016 among 18 equity partners.

A Clydes spokesperson said: "We can confirm that Patrick Zheng , a partner in our Greater China practice, left the firm earlier this year."