Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson has raided the China practice of Simmons & Simmons to launch its first operations in the region.
Simmons has been rocked by the resignations of five partners in its Hong Kong and Shanghai offices including China regional managing partner Huen Wong and head of the China corporate group Stephen Mok.
All five partners resigned on Monday (25 September). Their departure dates are currently being negotiated with Simmons although Wong has already left the firm.
Employment partner Fiona Loughrey takes over as interim China managing partner for a month before a long-term successor is appointed.
Simmons’ managing partner Mark Dawkins said: “We are always sorry to see partners go and some of these partners have been with the firm for a long time. We wish them all well.”
Huen joined Simmons in 1988, becoming a partner in 1992. Mok, who is head of Simmons China corporate group and counts HSBC, DBS Capital and New World China Land as clients, has been a partner since 1998.
The three other partners leaving Simmons are construction specialist Philip Nunn, real estate partner Raymond Kwok, and the Shanghai-based Mike Hickman.
Fried Frank declined to comment.
