King & Wood Mallesons sign King & Wood Mallesons
|

King & Wood Mallesons has hired Rachel Yu as a disputes partner from Herbert Smith Freehills in Hong Kong.

Yu, who was a senior associate at HSF, focuses on regulatory investigations and commercial disputes, including misselling, fraud, injunctions, debt recovery, security enforcement, joint venture and shareholders' disputes. She also advises on public relations and internal crisis management strategies.

Yu leaves Herbert Smith Freehills after more than five years with the firm. Previously, she practised at Hong Kong firm Deacons for almost six years, and trained and practised at disputes boutique Boase Cohen & Collins for three years.

"Rachel's background reveals a perfect blend of complex financial and regulatory work – not to mention her fluent Putonghua," Paul Starr, King & Wood Mallesons' Hong Kong disputes head, said in a statement.

The Sino-Australian giant is the latest firm in Hong Kong to hire a partner specialising in regulatory investigations. During the past 12 months, at least eight other international firms, ranging from Magic Circle firms to the affiliate firm of the Big Four's EY, have hired partners who focus on regulatory work related to Hong Kong's securities regulator.

King & Wood Mallesons now has 35 partners in Hong Kong. Earlier this week, the firm appointed corporate partner Helena Huang as co-chief executive of the Hong Kong office with fellow corporate partner Hayden Flinn. Flinn's previous co-office chief, Zhang Yi, became the firm's China chairman in 2017.

Huang was a partner with Kirkland & Ellis before joining King & Wood Mallesons in 2011. A cross-border corporate restructuring specialist, she will also take on a regional leadership role, working with the management across the Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Shenzhen offices.

|

Related Stories:

Why Are International Law Firms Hiring More Regulatory Lawyers in Hong Kong?