Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP has made history in the Republic of China. The firm recently aided Asia Pacific Land (APL) in closing the largest real estate deal ever made in the country. Due to Paul, Hastings’ efforts, APL is now the proud owner of The Center, a Shanghai office in Puxi, purchased for about $650 million US dollars.

Source: www.practicesource.com

Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge is preparing to open its new offices in Hong Kong and Tokyo. These new offices are part of 5 year plan to expand the firm globally. The plan not only consists of opening new arms of the firm, but also expanding existent locations, such as its London and Washington DC offices.

Source: www.thelawyer.com

Hong Kong: LAWFUEL – Law Firm Newswire – Renowned Hong Kong litigator Brian Gilchrist is to join leading law firm Clifford Chance from 1 May 2008.

Brian joins the strongest litigation team in Asia, with four partners based in Hong Kong, including leading practitioner Martin Rogers, and 40 litigation lawyers working across Asia.
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Following Reed Smith’s merger with Richards Butler Hong Kong, the firm plans on sending two trainees to Hong Kong. Mark Matthew, Reed Smith graduate recruitment manager, says this will occur later this month [February] at the next seat rotation. The merger,announced January 1, 2008, added about £30m to Reed Smith’s annual turnover.
Source: www.thelawyer.com

Clifford Chance (CC) has boosted its Asia litigation team with the hire of a partner from Mayer Brown JSM, the magic circle law firm announced today (18 February).

Brian Gilchrist joins CC’s Hong Kong arm on 1 May. He specialises in banking and insurance disputes, directors’ duties and minority shareholders’ rights matters, as well as tax-related areas.
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New York law firm Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson has announced the hiring of William Yoo in their Hong Kong office. Yoo is a Real Estate Equity, Debt Transactions and Corporate Finance attorney who previously work for Paul Hastings in Tokyo.
Source: www.nlj.com

Baker & McKenzie has announced the hiring of six attorneys for its China IP practice. These attorneys include senior associates Maria Smith, Angeline Lee, and Sian Bowen as well as associates Gloria Poon and Annie Tsoi, all of whom will work in Hong Kong. Senior associate Clement Ngai will work in the Shanghai office.
Source: www.financeasia.com

Weil, Gotshal, & Manges has announced that it plans to open a new office in Hong Kong later this month. The office will specialize in transactional practice and is designed to work in tandem with the firms already established Shanghai office. The firm also has plans to open an office in Beijing.
Source: lawfuel.com

New York-based LeBoeuf Lamb Greene & MacRae has opened a Hong Kong office to serve as a hub for the firm’s Asian practices. Daniel Liew, formerly a parter with Simmons & Simmons, and Bill Marcoux, an insurance Partner out of London, will head the branch’s ten attorneys. Paul Chen from New York will join them later this year with several associates; LeBoeuf Lamb hopes to double the number of attorneys in Hong Kong by the end of the year.
Source: legalweek.com

International firm Reed Smith is in merger talks with Richards Butler’s Hong Kong partners. The Hong Kong practice was not a part of the merger between the two firms last year; it was treated as financially separate from the London and European partnership of Richards Butler. Partners from both firms are favorable towards a merger, and an agreement is expected to be reached by the end of the summer.
Source: www.legalweek.com