Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP announced today that Martin Rogers and James Wadham, leading litigators in Asia, will join the firm as partners in Hong Kong. Their arrival extends Davis Polk’s leadership among the elite corporate law firms in Asia with an outstanding litigation capability. Globally, this decision exemplifies Davis Polk’s strategic focus on delivering the best lawyers, providing the most critical advice, to the most sophisticated clients in the world’s major financial centers.
In particular, Davis Polk has now taken a major step forward in providing clients with a uniquely elite global enforcement capability. The firm has consistently been ranked tier 1 in the United States for trial work, regulatory enforcement, white collar crime and internal investigations. Davis Polk will now have an equivalent, market-leading litigation practice in Hong Kong and Asia.
“The benefits to our clients who are looking for world-class advice in Asia to meet their increasingly complex and global needs are tremendously exciting,” said Thomas J. Reid, Davis Polk’s Managing Partner. “We are now uniquely positioned to provide counsel across an even broader platform. Capital markets, M&A, direct investment, corporate governance, risk management, internal investigations, regulatory enforcement, litigation and white collar crime defense work: we now have a complete team of lawyers able to deliver all of these services in our client-focused, collaborative way.”
Martin Rogers (English and Hong Kong law-qualified) will join Davis Polk from the Hong Kong office of Clifford Chance where he was the Asia-Pacific Head of Litigation and Dispute Resolution and the Asia-Pacific Co-Head of Financial Services Regulation. He has spent over 22 years in Asia advising and representing clients on the most complex, high-profile disputes, regulatory enforcement matters and white collar crime cases.
James Wadham (English and Hong Kong law-qualified) has advised the world’s leading investment banks on complex regulatory matters and developed an outstanding reputation for complex litigation, including cross-border disputes, shareholder and investment disputes and professional negligence defense work. James practiced for over 10 years with Clifford Chance in Hong Kong.
“I am thrilled to be joining Davis Polk and grateful to Clifford Chance for my many rewarding years there,” said Martin Rogers. “I’m thankful for the success I have enjoyed at Clifford Chance but continuing my practice at Davis Polk provides a new and exciting opportunity,” said James Wadham.
“Our clients will rapidly appreciate the importance of this development in our capabilities,” said Bonnie Chan, a partner in Davis Polk’s Hong Kong office and formerly Senior Vice President and Head of IPO Transactions Department, Hong Kong Stock Exchange. “Earlier this year, the leading 23 investment banks reached out to Martin and me to ask us to co-counsel them as a group in responding to the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission’s important consultation paper on Sponsor Regulation. Going forward, we will collaborate closely as partners on Davis Polk’s elite platform.”
