Hogan Lovells suffers third China departure as Beijing chief quits for Paul Hastings

Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker has hired the former managing partner of Hogan & Hartson’s Beijing office.

Roger Peng joins Paul Hastings’ corporate team as part of ongoing efforts to beef up its China practice. His practice focuses on M&A, private equity, venture capital and commercial transactions, working with clients in the telecoms, media and technology sectors.

Peng said the move would allow him to expand his client base and take on more high-end work.

“Paul Hastings is one the leading international firms in China and has been that way for a number of years,” he said.

“I think the move was basically something I had to do at this stage in my career. I was on the look out for a firm that has a very focused corporate practice in China as well as a broad knowledge base and support system globally. I researched a lot of firms and found that Paul Hastings fitted the description perfectly.”

He added: “I’ll be doing similar work to my time at Hogan Lovells but on a different level, and on a larger scale. I’m hoping I’ll also be able to expand into different industries like natural resources and manufacturing. I’m looking to handle more large-scale, complex deals.”

Peng’s arrival comes after the managing partner of Hogan & Hartson’s Shanghai office left to join Ropes & Gray (May 5 2010)

Robert Lewis, the head of Lovells’ Beijing office, also left the firm days before its merger to join China’s AllBright Law Offices. (April 29 2010)

Asked how this would impact on Hogan Lovells offering, he said: “I think given the departures there will be some impact, but that’s natural; in the bigger scheme of things the global merger shouldn’t be affected.”