Eversheds Shanghai drafts in Euro lawyers to target Chinese economy

Eversheds plans to fill its new Shanghai office with associates from its European network, with Italian lawyer Marco Vinciguerra the first to make the move.

The firm aims to pick up mandates from European companies looking to invest in the expanding Chinese economy. Vinciguerra was a senior associate at the Milan office of the firm's Italian arm, Piergrossi Bianchini Eversheds, and will be joined in the Shanghai office by lawyers from other European branches of the firm.

Piergrossi partner Alvise Donà dalle Rose said: "The idea will be to have a lawyer from France, Spain and Germany there. Marco's the first from Western Europe but this is one of the projects."

Vinciguerra built up his connections with China after spending five years at Barlow Lyde & Gilbert's Hong Kong office. Donà dalle Rose said: "He's got great contacts and has always kept in contact with his friends out there. "He was very happy to go to Shanghai and will probably remain there all his life. He'll be coming back to the Milan office a couple of times a year."

Vinciguerra will focus on corporate work in the construction and chemicals industries.

Eversheds opened its Shanghai office in September 2006 with the hire of Linklaters associate Peter Corne, who worked at Simmons & Simmons in Shanghai before joining Linklaters' Shanghai office in 2000.