Gordon Dadds, which last year became the second UK law firm to go public, has opened its first overseas office in Hong Kong.

The London-based firm has hired real estate lawyer Alan Ma to lead the Hong Kong office. He joins from his own practice, Maxwell Alves Solicitors, a boutique firm specialising in China-related commercial, real estate and immigration matters, which has now closed.

Ma – who founded Maxwell Alves in London in 2003 and also operated in Hong Kong – is joined in the move to Gordon Dadds by lawyer Ghulam Marium Butt.

Gordon Dadds managing partner Adrian Biles, who is also chief executive of the firm's listed parent company Gordon Dadds Group, will also spend time in the Hong Kong office.

Ma said in a press release that China has always been an important market for Gordon Dadds and that the firm aims to make the Hong Kong office a significant part of the business and advise on Chinese companies' expansion abroad.

Gordon Dadds will practise English law in Hong Kong as a foreign law firm, and the firm is also awaiting regulatory approval for a local law association, according to a filing with the London Stock Exchange.

Last year, Gordon Dadds became the second publicly-traded law firm in the UK, with a $25m AIM listing via a reverse takeover of marketing company Work Group. Gateley was the first UK practice to list on AIM in 2015, with Keystone Law, Rosenblatt and Knights following suit during the past 12 months.

Besides offices in London and Hong Kong, Gordon Dadds also has a 16-lawyer base in Cardiff, which it acquired as a result of its February acquisition of local firm Thomas Simon. The firm reported revenues of £31.24m for the financial year to 31 March, up 25% on last year.