Ashurst has boosted its disputes practice in Asia with the hire of two Herbert Smith Freehills lawyers as partners.

Rob Palmer, a counsel at Herbert Smith Freehills, will join the firm in Singapore early next year where he will work with an existing team led by energy disputes specialist Ben Giaretta. Chris Bailey, currently a consultant, will initially join Ashurst in Singapore before relocating to Tokyo, where he will launch the firm’s dispute resolution practice in Japan.