Pinsent Masons hires Shanghai duo from former ally Salans

Two Shanghai partners who left Salans earlier this month have resurfaced at the firm’s former alliance partner Pinsent Masons.

Salans’ Shanghai office managing partner Bernd-Uwe Stucken and fellow Shanghai corporate partner Wei Liu both resigned from Salans earlier this month (6 June 2012).

Stucken and Liu’s departure came as a blow to Salans, which had earlier announced that it was closing its Beijing (13 April 2012) and Hong Kong (10 May 2012) offices to concentrate on Shanghai.

Salans and Pinsent Masons were alliance partners between 2009 and 2011, but the pair called it quits in December and Pinsents announced that it was going to open offices in France and Germany (12 December 2011).

Pinsents’ says that it has hired Stucken and Wei to “grow [the] practice expertise of inbound investment in Chinese manufacturing and technology business”. Stucken’s hire, in particular, ties in with the firm’s plans to expand into Munich later this year: he has practiced in China for around 23 years and has a lot of experience helping Germany companies, in particular export oriented manufacturing companies, expand into China.

Wei meanwhile has spent more than 10 years advising on cross border deals with Chinese manufacturing and technology enterprises.

In a statement, Ian Laing, head of Asia at Pinsent Masons said: “The arrival of Bernd and Liu Wei demonstrates our focus on ensuring that Pinsent Masons in Asia can comprehensively respond to the needs of our clients in our global sectors. Combined with our successful alliance with Beijing Hesen Law Firm, we will have far greater strength and depth in China to meet our clients needs. This further expansion demonstrates our continuing, long-term commitment to growth in China.”

News of Stucken and Wei joining Pinsents comes as the firm has hired a new head of insurance, Nick Bradley, from Lawrence Graham. Bradley was head of insurance and reinsurance at Lawrence Graham.