Shook Hardy seeks Asia market position

US litigation powerhouse Shook Hardy & Bacon is looking to enter the South Korean legal market by way of an informal alliance in an attempt to tap into the booming Asian manufacturing market.

Shook Hardy is particularly well known for its product liability practice and already has alliances in Germany, Brazil and Canada along with offices in Geneva and London.

The Kansas City-based firm's chairman John Murphy confirmed that Shook Hardy was "actively looking" at striking a similar deal in South Korea within six months, although the identity of the firm Shook Hardy will ally with remains unclear.

Last year the firm formed an informal alliance with China's largest law firm, King & Wood. Murphy this deal had given the firm, "instant credibility, instant critical mass and instant entrée to a client list that it would have take us a lot longer to establish".