Addleshaws Rebuilds Hong Kong Disputes Practice With Locke Lord Partner
Ronald Sum will leave the U.S. firm, where he's regional head of arbitration, to lead the U.K. firm's disputes practice in Hong Kong with his team, which includes of counsel Daniel Lee and associate Beryl Wu.
April 15, 2019 at 04:27 PM
3 minute read
Hong Kong
Addleshaw Goddard is rebuilding its disputes practice in Hong Kong, with the hire of Locke Lord's east Asia head of arbitration.
Ronald Sum will join Addleshaws as a partner and lead the firm's disputes practice in Hong Kong. He is expected to make the move in late May and will bring two additional lawyers – counsel Daniel Lee and associate Beryl Wu.
Sum specialises in commercial and insurance litigation and arbitration, especially China-related matters. He is also chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce Hong Kong arbitration and alternative dispute resolution committee, and is on the Hong Kong government's advisory committee on the promotion of arbitration.
He joined Locke Lord in April of last year from Troutman Sanders, where he had been a partner since 2012, as Troutman was winding down its Asia offices in Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai. Previously, Sum was a partner at Blank Rome's legacy Hong Kong office, legacy Eversheds and DLA Piper.
Sum joins Addleshaws after the London-based firm lost two senior disputes lawyers in Hong Kong recently. Partner Nigel Francis, who co-founded and led the Hong Kong office, left in February, and Eric Chan, who joined as legal director (equivalent to of counsel) in October from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, left a few months later in December to be a consultant at Simmons & Simmons. Addleshaws' disputes practice in Hong Kong currently has legal directors Janie Wong and Ivan Chang, and two associates.
In Singapore, which is Addleshaws' only other outpost in Asia, office head and arbitration partner Jamie Harrison is leaving next month after almost a decade with the firm, to be a deputy director general at the London Court of International Arbitration. Once Harrison departs, Sum will be the only disputes partner in Asia for Addleshaws.
Addleshaws is currently trying to accelerate growth in Asia, spearheaded by region head Bob Charlton based in Hong Kong, who joined last May after similar regional management roles at legacy Berwin Leighton Paisner and DLA Piper. Charlton told The Asian Lawyer in October that he aims to increase the firm's partner count in Asia to more than 10 by the end of 2021.
With the addition of Sum and departure of Harrison, Addleshaws will have six partners in Asia, which also includes equity capital markets specialist Daniel Wan and corporate finance lawyers Andrew Yang and Lance Jiang, all in Hong Kong. U.S.-qualified Jiang, who joined in November, will be a partner after he qualifies in Hong Kong.
Meanwhile, Sum's exit will leave Locke Lord with eight lawyers based in Hong Kong, including partners Wing Cheung and Matthew Wong, who focus on initial public offerings and mergers and acquisitions – Cheung heads the office. Houston-based litigation and arbitration partner Greg Burch, who chairs Locke Lord's China and Hong Kong practice, and Boston-based real estate partner Lorne McDougall, also spend some time in Hong Kong.
Related Stories:
Evolutionary, Not Revolutionary: Addleshaw Goddard's Asia Growth Plan
Addleshaw Goddard's Singapore Office Head to Join London Court of Arbitration
Locke Lord Hires Troutman Sanders International Arbitration Duo in Hong Kong
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