Christopher Stephens, the new general counsel of the Asian Development Bank, tells Elizabeth Broomhall about ‘desperate’ times at Coudert Brothers and why Asian companies don’t need panels

After almost three decades working in private practice, Christopher Stephens decided in December that he had gone as far as he could at a law firm. From working at Cravath Swaine & Moore during the epic 13-year IBM antitrust case to enduring the collapse of New York law firm Coudert Brothers, he has certainly experienced more than many lawyers.