Shanghai, China
Image: Kellie Schmitt
London-based Pinsent Masons has hired two former Salans partners for its Shanghai practice.
The two new Pinsent Masons partners are Bernd-Uwe Stucken, Salans former Shanghai managing partner, and Liu Wei.
Stucken specializes in advising German export and manufacturing companies on their expansions into China. He joined Paris-based Salans as a partner in 2007 from the German firm then known as RSM Hemmelrath, for whom he had also been Shanghai managing partner. Stucken also previously served as Shanghai head for Hamburg-based Schulz Noack Barwinkel.
Liu focuses on cross-border transactions involving the Chinese manufacturing and technology sectors. He joined Salans as associate in 2007, also from RSM Hemmelrath and was made partner in 2010.
In a statement, Pinsent Masons managing partner David Ryan said his firm is planning to open offices in Germany and that the hiring of Stucken will help the firm build links between German and Chinese clients who have business interests in each other's jurisdictions.
Pinsent Masons previously had a nonexclusive alliance with Salans but terminated it last year prior to announcing plans to open its own offices in France and Germany. Last year the two firms worked together advising Thai steelmaker Sahaviriya Steel Industries PCL on a $469 million asset acquisition of English steel plant Teesside Cast Products, from India's Tata Steel Group, last year.
The new additions will take the firm's China partner headcount to seven. Pinsent Masons also has a local alliance with Beijing Hesen Law Firm.
Earlier this year, Salans announced the closure of both its Beijing and Hong Kong offices.
