News

Yoshio Ohno, Founding Partner of Japan’s Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu, Dies at Age 92

John Kang | June 15, 2018

Ohno's legal career began shortly after World War II and spanned more than half a century. He helped found what would become the first big Japanese law firm.

News

Asia Pacific Attractive for Private Equity Buyouts, Especially Southeast Asia, Survey Says

John Kang | June 15, 2018

“A net balance of a quarter of LPs think that Southeast Asia will be more attractive for buyouts in the next three years,” said the report.

News

Herbert Smith Freehills Germany Managing Partner Quits for Clifford Chance After Less Than 6 Months in Role

Hannah Roberts| June 15, 2018

The firm has not yet appointed a new Germany managing partner, although discussions are underway.

Video

What Does the Future Hold for the UK Top 50?

Legal Week| June 14, 2018

LLP accounts reveal operating profit margins slipping, staff costs rising and a limited cash safety net at many firms

News

Kirkland & Ellis Adds Hong Kong Partner From Shearman

John Kang | June 14, 2018

Capital markets lawyer Wanda Woo is the latest in a string of associates who have been recruited by Kirkland in Hong Kong in recent months.

News

Courts Not Bound by Foreign Governments' Statements Regarding Their Laws, Says US Supreme Court

Mike Scarcella| June 14, 2018

The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling Thursday was a boost to class action plaintiffs in dispute over vitamin C. Foreign law deserves "respectful consideration," Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote, but it doesn't decide this class action.

News

Wilson Sonsini Lands Global Dealmaker, Elevates Associate to Innovation Role

Xiumei Dong| June 14, 2018

Squire Patton Boggs corporate and securities partner Kenji Funahashi has joined Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati in Los Angeles, as the latter has also promoted associate David Yi Wang to a new role in Silicon Valley.

News

In Big Push DOJ Arrests 74 Cyber Scammers of Businesses and Law Firms

Sue Reisinger | June 13, 2018

One expert said such schemes are becoming “more brazen and targeted,” prompting GCs to increasingly seek help from investigators and consultants with cyber experience.

News

Asia Deal Digest: June 14, 2018

Anna Zhang | John Kang | June 13, 2018

• Simpson Thacher guides Ant Financial on its latest $14 billion financing round. • IPhone maker Foxconn turns to King & Wood Mallesons for a $4.3 billion A-share listing. • Linklaters represents lenders on Taiwan's first commercial offshore wind farm project.

News

UnitedLex and LeClairRyan Announce Innovative New Law Venture

Miriam Rozen | June 13, 2018

LeClairRyan has become the first law firm to sign on to what UnitedLex Corp. hopes will be a pioneering alliance between Big Law and New Law. The company's CEO expects that law firms could see their profits per partner rise up to 15 percent a year if they join the newly formed ULX Partners.

News

Former Big Five Legal Services Offshoot Andersen Global Enters Asia Via Indian Tie-Up

John Kang | June 12, 2018

Andersen Global's expansion into Asia comes as the Big Four accounting firms have been growing and expanding their legal services offerings in the region.

News

4 Nation-States Should Prompt Major Cyber Worries in the US, Fed Security Official Says

Dan Clark | June 12, 2018

Keith Morales of the Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank spoke at a conference Tuesday about the unique threats posed by Russia, China, North Korea and Iran.

News

Squire Patton Boggs Resolves China Intellectual Property Disputes Over Its Name

Anna Zhang | June 12, 2018

Four years after a company commandeered official use of the firm's name in China, the U.S. firm said it is now in full ownership of all trademarks and domain names in the country.

News

Interest in Law Firm IPOs on the Rise in UK

Hannah Roberts| June 12, 2018

Twenty percent of the U.K.'s top 100 law firm financial directors would now consider an IPO, up from just 4 percent four years ago.

Slideshow

10 Cities with Legal Tech Scenes to Watch

Ian Lopez | June 12, 2018

Who said there's only one hub of innovation? These international cities are spawning their own legal technology scenes.

News

King & Spalding Can’t Shake Ex-Associate’s Suit in ZTE Matter

Roy Strom | June 11, 2018

The firm may soon face a trial that could provide details on both the travails of the Big Law partnership track and an embarrassing episode that almost led to King & Spalding facing sanctions.

News

Baker & McKenzie Taps Williams & Connolly in 'Operation Carwash' Malpractice Suit

Dan Packel | June 11, 2018

The global firm and its Brazilian affiliate stand accused of putting a $3.18 billion settlement in jeopardy by adding a lawyer still employed as a federal prosecutor to a conglomerate's defense team.

Q&A

From CLO to the President's Seat: Nokia's Maria Varsellona Is Living the In-House Dream

Caroline Spiezio | June 11, 2018

"I think that there are still some lawyers who believe that it's not your role to make decisions, or rather they believe you let the business decide. You give alternatives and explain risks, but you do not take responsibility for decisions. I have a totally different view," said Varsellona, who recently took on the role of president at Nokia Technologies.

News

Alleging Treatment as 'Sexual Object,' Dentons Employee Sues Firm

Roy Strom | June 11, 2018

The global legal giant has been hit with an explosive suit in New York by a marketing and business development specialist.

News

JunHe Poaches Corporate Partner From Latham & Watkins

John Kang | June 11, 2018

The move illustrates a practice increasingly common among large Chinese firms: recruit from global firms by offering a faster track to partnership.

News

Dentons Rodyk Hires Finance Partner in Singapore

Anna Zhang | June 11, 2018

Former Herbert Smith Freehills banking partner Roderick Howell joins the global giant's Singapore member firm.

News

Hello Restaurant World, Goodbye Big Law

Miriam Rozen | June 08, 2018

Jonathan Nelms, a former partner at Baker McKenzie in Moscow and Washington, D.C., has left the global legal giant to start the first Georgian establishment in the nation's capital.

News

It Was a Tough Week for Bank General Counsel Around the Globe

Sue Reisinger | June 08, 2018

Internationally, banks had a tough enforcement week--a timely reminder of the importance of a strong compliance focus in the financial services sector.

News

Simpson Thacher Partner Joins Jack Ma-Backed Private Equity Firm

Anna Zhang | June 08, 2018

Corporate partner Shaolin Luo is now general counsel for Shanghai-based YunFeng Capital.

News

Korea’s Kim & Chang Launches in Vietnam

John Kang | June 08, 2018

With South Korea’s largest law firm setting up shop in Ho Chi Minh City, all of the Big Six Korean firms have now established outposts in the Southeast Asian country.

News

Holland Becomes First American Judge to Join English Chambers

Tom McParland | June 07, 2018

Retired Delaware Supreme Court Justice Randy J. Holland this week was elected "door tenant" at London's 3 Hare Court, becoming the first former American jurist to affiliate with a leading English set of chambers.

News

US to Lift Export Ban on China's ZTE, Embed 'Compliance Coordinators'

Sue Reisinger| June 07, 2018

The U.S. Department of Commerce is cracking down on ZTE in some unprecedented ways.

News

Legal Operations in the US vs. Europe: Is it So Different Across the Pond?

Dan Clark | June 07, 2018

There are some distinctions, experts say, but ops is not as different in Europe as one might expect.

News

New Katten Hire, a World Traveler, Is a Seasoned Securitization Veteran

Roy Strom | June 06, 2018

From Hong Kong to Tokyo to Abu Dhabi and New York, Paul Kruger has worked in a variety of Big Law locales. His latest lateral move sees him transition between two leading firms.

News

PwC's Hong Kong Law Practice Continues to Expand; Hires Longtime Mayer Brown JSM Partner

John Kang | June 06, 2018

M&A specialist Martin Robertson is the latest to join PwC's Hong Kong affiliated law firm Tiang & Co.

News

Dentons Brings in Nonlawyer to Succeed Outgoing UK Managing Partner

Joseph Evans | June 06, 2018

The firm has made the rare move of bringing in a nonlawyer for its U.K. and Middle East leadership role.

News

Deloitte Will Acquire Part of US Law Firm in New Legal Venture

Dan Packel | June 06, 2018

The Big Four are continuing their march into the legal services realm. In addition to an alliance with Berry Appleman & Leiden's U.S. operations, Deloitte UK will acquire the firm's eight overseas offices.

News

Has Hong Kong's Legal Tech Moment Arrived?

Rhys Dipshan| June 06, 2018

A movement is taking hold in the city to bring legal tech into the mainstream and make Hong Kong a legal tech player in its own right. Will it succeed?

Analysis

International Law Firms Are Opening Offices in Tokyo Again

John Kang | June 05, 2018

Firms like Mayer Brown, Debevoise & Plimpton and King & Spalding came to Japan riding on a recent wave of outbound projects and M&A deals.

News

Dechert Lands UK-Based Former US Prosecutor From Kobre & Kim

Dan Packel | June 05, 2018

Former Brooklyn federal prosecutor Roger Burlingame is joining Dechert in London, leaving behind the fast-growing boutique that first lured him across the Atlantic.

News

Beyond CLO: Nokia's Maria Varsellona Adds Role as President of Company's Tech, Licensing Business

Caroline Spiezio | June 05, 2018

The Finnish company has bumped its CLO up, giving Varsellona new executive responsibilities.

News

Miami Surges as International Arbitration Hub, but NYC Undaunted

Dan Packel | June 05, 2018

The efforts of local boosters—and a concerted focus on Latin America—helped propel Miami to second place in a recent study of cities for arbitrating international disputes involving the Americas.

News

Yankee Practitioners Cheer US Bankruptcy Court's Recognition of British Flexibility

Miriam Rozen | June 05, 2018

What type of clients will be able to take advantage of the new opportunities created with a U.S. bankruptcy judge's recent opinion recognizing U.K. third-party releases?

News

JunHe Recruits Insolvency Partner From King & Wood Mallesons

Anna Zhang | June 05, 2018

Yang Li advised on the $10 billion bankruptcy case of state-owned Dongbei Special Steel last year.

News

Mayer Brown Expands Japan Practice With Morgan Lewis Duo

John Kang | June 05, 2018

Corporate partner Satoru Murase and international trade partner Yoshihide Ito join the firm in the United States; both were once partners at Bingham McCutchen, which ceased operations in 2014.

News

Swiss Biotech Enzyvant Hires Industry Vet as New GC

Kristen Rasmussen | June 04, 2018

Tamara Joseph has been named top lawyer at Enzyvant, a Swiss company focused on developing innovative therapies for patients with rare diseases.

News

'Global Legaltech Venture Days' Takes On an Increasingly Globalized Legal Sphere

Gabrielle Orum Hernández | June 04, 2018

The new competition and incubator program, hosted by Spain’s IE Law, ONTIER, Law Schools Global League and South Summit, will vet early-stage startups.

News

Orrick Expands Its China Practice With Former Dentons Beijing Chief

Anna Zhang | June 03, 2018

Sarah Zeng specializes in China-related corporate transactions in the energy and manufacturing sectors.

News

Gunderson Dettmer China Practice Co-Head Dies at 46

Anna Zhang | June 01, 2018

Steven Liu is remembered by colleagues and clients as a "super guy and terrific lawyer" and for his warmth, generosity, humility and contributions to technology innovation in China.

News

Mayer Brown Finalizes Cooperation Deal With Saudi Firm

Krishnan Nair | June 01, 2018

Al-Yaqoub Attorneys & Advisers, which ended an alliance deal with Hogan Lovells more than a year ago, has inked a new cooperation agreement with Mayer Brown.

News

Indonesia’s Assegaf Hamzah & Partners Acquires IP Boutique

John Kang | June 01, 2018

One of Indonesia’s largest firms is expanding its intellectual property practice. Indonesia still ranks low on the international IP index but it has been building a more effective foundation for IP policy.

News

Wiggin's Legal Tech Startup Eyes Tech Revamp, Global Expansion After Big Pay Day

Ian Lopez | June 01, 2018

Wiggin's INCOPRO plans to use a $21 million investment to upgrade its IP technology and expand further into markets in China, the U.S. and Europe.

News

Epiq Acquires Soliton Systems’ E-Discovery Business, Japanese Character Processing

Zach Warren| May 31, 2018

The acquisition provides a direct answer to the East Asian language barrier problems many U.S.-based e-discovery providers face.

News

Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner Shifts to Merit-Based Pay System

Joseph Evans | May 31, 2018

Partners at the newly formed global legal giant have been told that they will be rewarded for their cross-selling efforts with higher remuneration.

News

Norton Rose Fulbright Expands in Australia

John Kang | May 31, 2018

Banking and projects partner Chris Patten, disputes partner Andrew Battisson and senior government adviser Bill Conley all joined the global firm in May.

News

Skadden, Ropes & Gray Advise on Alibaba's $1.4B China Logistics Deal

Anna Zhang | May 31, 2018

The e-commerce giant joined forces with subsidiary Cainiao Network to take a 10 percent stake in Chinese courier ZTO.

News

Entries Open for China Law & Practice Awards 2018

Staff| May 31, 2018

The deadline for submission is June 29, 2018.

News

Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner Divests Stake in New Law Pioneer

Joseph Evans | May 30, 2018

Baker McKenzie, Macfarlanes and Stephenson Harwood are advising on a deal that will see newly formed global legal giant BCLP sell off its controlling stake in Lawyers on Demand.

News

PwC's Legal Arm in Hong Kong Hires New Partner

John Kang | May 30, 2018

Former KWM Shanghai international partner Martyn Huckerby joins PwC affiliate Tiang & Co. as head of competition law.

News

Ashurst Expands in Australia With DLA Piper Duo

John Kang | May 30, 2018

Finance and projects partners Alex Guy and Dan Brown, both longtime lawyers at the U.S. firm, will join the Anglo-Australian firm’s Brisbane office later this year.

News

Australia's AMP Appoints David Cullen as Group General Counsel

Sue Reisinger | May 29, 2018

AMP Ltd., Australia’s largest wealth manager, has appointed David Cullen as its new group general counsel. Cullen replaces Brian Salter, who was terminated last month.

Analysis

Is Linklaters' China Alliance a Game Changer?

Anna Zhang | May 29, 2018

The Magic Circle firm's Shanghai Free Trade Zone joint operation wasn't the first, but it might just be the tipping point.

News

Big Four's EY Law Snaps Up 6 Lawyers From Troutman Sanders' Soon-to-Be Closed Asia Offices

John Kang | May 29, 2018

Corporate partners Rossana Chu in Hong Kong and Chengfei Ding in Shanghai join EY Law’s LC Lawyers and EY Law Firm, respectively.

NYC's Cohen & Gresser Launches in London

Dan Packel | May 25, 2018

London will become the midsize firm's third international office.

News

Freshfields Expands China Antitrust Practice With KWM Hire

Anna Zhang | May 25, 2018

The Magic Circle firm has recruited partner Hazel Yin from the Chinese firm, four years after former practice head Michael Han defected to domestic rival Fangda Partners.

News

A Dutch Treat? Some Lawyers See Netherlands as Next Class Action 'It' Spot

Miriam Rozen | May 24, 2018

There are a number of reasons for lawyers representing plaintiffs and defendants to believe that Dutch courts could become an ideal overseas venue to resolve class action disputes. But uncertainties still abound.

News

International Trade Lawyers Make Hay as Sanctions Shine

Dan Packel | May 24, 2018

"Like taking a drink out of a fire hose" is how one lawyer described his practice, as the implications of international sanctions and trade disputes grow ever more complex.

News

Global Trade Sanctions Picture Growing Tenser and Murkier for General Counsel

Sue Reisinger | May 24, 2018

Recent action by the U.S. on the sanctions front has given American companies reason to be leery. Sometimes, with cross-border transactions, it's tough to even know which country's legal regime to follow.

News

New Exchange Program Pairs US, UK Associates at Womble Bond Dickinson

Meredith Hobbs | May 24, 2018

At the suggestion of a U.K. trainee, the firm has kicked off a transatlantic exchange for its younger lawyers on both sides of the pond.

News

Paul Hastings Makes 4 Big Hires in 2 Cities

Rose Walker and Brian Baxter| May 24, 2018

Roger Barron, a veteran corporate partner at Linklaters in London, has left the Magic Circle firm for Paul Hastings, which has been busy in recent weeks recruiting new talent into its partnership.

News

UK Firm HFW Expands Construction Practice With Jones Day Hire in Hong Kong

Anna Zhang | May 24, 2018

Bury becomes the sixth construction partner the firm has hired in the past 15 months—part of a move to boost its Asia Pacific offering.

News

The GDPR and China's Cyber Law: Following One Doesn't Mean Following Both

Ian Lopez | May 24, 2018

The General Data Protection Regulation and China's Cybersecurity Law are aligned in many ways, though there are enough divisions that privacy counsel should be wary in creating a plan to comply with both.

News

Eversheds Sutherland Scraps Annual Performance Reviews

Rose Walker | May 24, 2018

The firm becomes the latest to move away from annual reviews, opting instead for more regular feedback.

News

White & Case and Weil Lead on $2.3B Sony Acquisition

Hannah Roberts | May 24, 2018

Weil advised Mubadala on the EMI music publishing sale as Sony turned to White & Case.

News

Fast-Growing Kobre & Kim Adds Lawyers in Asia, London, NY, DC

Dan Packel | May 23, 2018

A key part of the firm's model is finding former federal prosecutors eager to work on the ground in foreign jurisdictions.

News

K&L Gates Adds Arbitration Partner in Dubai

Dan Packel | May 22, 2018

Partner Jonathan Sutcliffe, who has been in the Middle East for eight years, comes to the firm from Baker Botts.

News

US, Global Law Firms Look to Ireland for 'Brexit Insurance Policy'

Dan Packel | May 22, 2018

DLA Piper just announced Ireland plans, and Covington & Burling and Dechert have attorneys on the ground. Experts expect other firms to follow.

News

Pillsbury Prepares New Taiwan Office After Raid on V&E

Xiumei Dong | May 22, 2018

Chris Kao and David Tsai, a high-powered intellectual property duo that joined Vinson & Elkins three years ago from Perkins Coie, are headed to Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman in San Francisco.

News

Some Big Law Firms Hang On in Turbulent Venezuela

Dan Packel | May 21, 2018

Hogan Lovells has exited the reeling Latin American nation after 12 years, but other firms, including Baker McKenzie, aren't ready to abandon Venezuela yet.

News

Chinese Trademark Applications Filed With PTO Could Create Headaches for US Businesses

Dan Clark | May 21, 2018

Chinese companies are on track to file more foreign trademark applications than U.S. companies in the next couple of years, according to recent data.

News

Most US and EU Companies Not Ready for New Data Privacy Law, Survey Says

Sue Reisinger | May 21, 2018

With the Friday GDPR deadline approaching, the report said 63 percent of U.S. respondents stated they will be largely or completely compliant. The report said there is “a mixed picture across Europe,” however.

News

Linklaters Becomes First Magic Circle Firm to Gain Access to Chinese Law Capability

Anna Zhang | May 21, 2018

The firm's long-awaited Shanghai Free Trade Zone tie-up with best friend Zhao Sheng Law Firm finally got a green light from the government.

Analysis

Across the Atlantic, #MeToo Complaints Get Counted

Dan Packel | May 21, 2018

While lawyers in the U.S. and the U.K. have yet to feel the full effect of the #MeToo movement, the regulatory environment on the other side of the Atlantic may offer a more fertile ground for rooting out misconduct.

News

Dating Leads to Marriage as Dentons Officially Heads to Hawaii

Roy Strom | May 21, 2018

The global legal giant will absorb Alston Hunt Floyd & Ing a year after affiliating with the 40-plus lawyer Hawaiian firm.

News

Freshfields to Create New Legal Support and Technology Development Hub in Berlin

Rose Walker | May 21, 2018

The hub could be home to about 100 new legal and fintech positions.

News

Perkins Coie Poaches Prominent Sheppard Mullin Partners in Beijing

Anna Zhang | May 18, 2018

Former Beijing managing partner James Zimmerman and intellectual property partner Scott Palmer have made the move to Perkins Coie.

News

Kate Logan Takes the Mic as Warner Music's New International General Counsel

Caroline Spiezio | May 18, 2018

Logan will be in charge of WMG's legal affairs around the world, including in North Africa and the Middle East, where the company recently added a new division.

News

CMS Forms Hong Kong Law Association With Firm Formed by Troutman Sanders Lawyers

Anna Zhang | May 18, 2018

Hong Kong capital markets and corporate boutique Shirley Lau & Co will add local law capability to the 18-month-old office.

News

A Funding Scramble Down Under for AMP Class Action Suits

Miriam Rozen | May 17, 2018

AMP Ltd., Australia's largest wealth manager, is facing suits from at least five firms as it grapples with a misconduct scandal. Who will fund the pursuit of those claims has become a key issue in the world of Australian class actions.

News

Orrick Expands International Offices With Partner Hires in China, Africa

Anna Zhang | May 17, 2018

Corporate partner Jeff Zhang arrives from King & Wood Mallesons while project finance partner Yacouba Coulibaly joins the firm's affiliate office in the Ivory Coast from the African Export-Import Bank.

News

Wilson Legal Solutions, Stanton Allen Merge to Meet Legal’s CRM Tipping Point

Ian Lopez | May 17, 2018

The move is part of Wilson Legal’s 'core strategy' to get ahead of a legal industry trend toward greater customer relationship management focus.

News

Mayer Brown Hires M&A Team From White & Case in Mexico

Meghan Tribe | May 16, 2018

Mayer Brown has welcomed aboard a three-lawyer team in Mexico City led by partner Raúl Fernández-Briseño and two associates. Fernández-Briseño will serve as his new firm's head of local M&A.

News

Magic Circle Duo Land Roles on $10B IPO by Chinese State-Owned Enterprise

Anna Zhang | May 16, 2018

Telecom infrastructure operator China Tower Corp. has filed for what is likely to be the second mega IPO that Hong Kong will see this year, following the filing by smartphone maker Xiaomi Corp.

News

Novartis GC to Step Down After Admitting $1.2M Contract With Cohen Was an Error

Anna Ward | May 16, 2018

The pharma company's legal chief took "personal responsibility" to end public debate over the payments made to Michael Cohen.

News

Witness Payment Claims Persist Against Human Rights Lawyer, Florida Firm

Scott Flaherty | May 15, 2018

A simmering and long-running legal battle between energy company Drummond and an active human rights lawyer has spun off accusations of witness payments.

News

DLA Piper Set to Launch Office in Dublin as It Prepares for Brexit

Hannah Roberts | May 15, 2018

The firm will initially focus on the financial services, technology, and life sciences sectors from its new base in the Irish capital.

News

Trump's Move to Ease Sanctions on ZTE Called 'Highly Unusual'

Sue Reisinger | May 14, 2018

“This is highly unusual,” said one law professor who has been focusing his lessons around ZTE. “I’ve never heard of a politician trying to change [a plea deal] before.”

News

Regulatory Regime Change Helps Axiom Put Its Promise to the Test

Dan Packel | Miriam Rozen | May 14, 2018

Axiom’s Chris DeConti said GDPR and Brexit can be “proof points” for the company's value as an alternative to traditional law firms.

Singapore Outranks Hong Kong as Preferred International Arbitration Seat, Study Says

Anna Zhang | May 14, 2018

Research released by Queen Mary University of London and White & Case found that the Southeast Asian city-state is now the third most popular jurisdiction in the world in which to hold an arbitration case.

Kirkland Hires A&O Global IP Head Nicola Dagg in London

Rose Walker | May 14, 2018

In hiring Dagg, Kirkland delivers another blow to its Magic Circle rivals. Earlier this year, it hired Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer private equity partner David Higgins.

News

5 of the Biggest Compliance Questions About Renewed Iran Trade Sanctions, Answered

MP McQueen | May 11, 2018

Greta Lichtenbaum, a partner at O’Melveny & Myers whose practice includes international trade and regulatory compliance, answered Corporate Counsel's questions about the impact on multinational companies of the Trump administration's renewed sanctions against Iran.

News

Q&A: Goodwin Procter and the Nuts and Bolts of Going Global

Dan Packel | May 11, 2018

As Goodwin Procter works to grow its reach, the firm's new managing director of international operations and its COO talked about the mechanics of competing on a global stage.

News

A&O Plans to Launch Its Flexible Legal Services Business in New York, Frankfurt

Rose Walker | May 11, 2018

The service has grown rapidly and the firm is looking to expand it internationally.

News

Not Just GDPR: Questions Abound as EU Cybersecurity Directive Comes Online

Rhys Dipshan | May 11, 2018

Since each EU nation can implement the Network and Information Security (NIS) directive in its own way, there is uncertainty over what local and international companies will be covered.

News

DWF Launches 4th Australia Office; Recruits 6 Partners for Expansion Down Under

Joseph Evans | May 11, 2018

The U.K. firm's latest hires include one who will become the firm's new Asia-Pacific chairman.