DLA Piper has named Shanghai corporate Qiang Li and Hong Kong disputes partner Satpal Gobindpuri as co-regional managing partners in Asia, as part of a series of regional leadership changes.

MinterEllison has taken on property development lawyer Carla Deluca as a Melbourne-based partner. She was previously a senior associate of Herbert Smith Freehills, where she spent almost 12 years. Her appointment followed the move of HSF class actions senior associate David Taylor, who joined the firm as a partner in July.

KPMG his recruited Baker McKenzie global fintech head Astrid Raetze in Sydney as it strengths its legal services offering in Australia. Raetze has been a partner of Bakers for 13 years and was also the firm’s global head of derivatives before her move.

China

DLA Piper has appointed Qiang Li and Satpal Gobindpuri as co-regional managing partners in Asia as part of a series of regional leadership changes. Shanghai-based corporate partner Roy Chan will become Asia senior partner. Li and Chan have been co-country managing partners for China since 2016. Gobindpuri was previously Asia head of litigation and regulatory. The role will now be given to Kevin Chan, who is replaced as Hong Kong office managing partner by Susheela Rivers. Luke Chan has been appointed Asia head of corporate. Terry O’Malley remains chair of the Asia committee, which was formed in 2014 and has been managing the firm’s Asia practice since then. In addition to these changes, DLA has hired James Chang as a corporate partner in Beijing. Chang was previously an associate at Skadden’s Beijing office.

Morgan Lewis has hired IP litigation partner Zhu Shaobin as a partner in Shanghai. Zhu joins from US IP firm Finnegan. His practice focuses on the technology sector, particularly in relation to Chinese companies’ patent litigation in US district courts and Section 337 investigations at the US International Trade Commission (ITC).

Simmons & Simmons has expanded its Shanghai-based employment practice by taking on Matthew Durham as a partner. He rejoins the firm after working as a partner at Winston & Strawn since 2009. Winston & Strawn has recently closed its offices in Beijing and Taipei in a bid to consolidate its Asia practice. Simmons expects to hire at least five new lawyers for the Asia employment team between August and December 2017. This follows the firm’s recent expansions in Greater China, which include the hire of corporate partner Michael Chin from Hogan Lovells in Hong Kong and the promotion of TMT lawyer Jingyuan Shi in Beijing earlier this year.

Hong Kong

Herbert Smith Freehills has named Hong Kong-based international arbitration partner May Tai as its new Greater China head, effective from 1 October 2017. She will succeed incumbent Julian Copeman, who has served as Greater China managing partner and disputes head since 2014 and is returning to the UK. Tai joined legacy Herbert Smith as a trainee in 2001 and became a partner in 2010. She has been based in Greater China since 2009 and spent the first four years in the firm’s Beijing and Shanghai offices. She relocated to Hong Kong in 2013.

Jones Day has appointed Charles Chau as a partner in its M&A practice. Prior to his move, Chau was a partner at Morrison & Foerster’s Hong Kong office. His practice covers mainly M&A and equity capital markets. Chau’s appointment comes shortly after the departure of Jones Day corporate partner Scott Peterman, who left to join Orrick’s Hong Kong office in July 2017.

Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom has hired former Davis Polk & Wardwell corporate partner Antony Dapiran as of counsel in Hong Kong. Dapiran joined Davis Polk’s Hong Kong as a partner in 2010 from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, where he was a partner and head of the firm’s Beijing office. He left Davis Polk in June 2017.

Taylor Wessing has appointed corporate and capital markets lawyer Dickson Ng as a partner in Hong Kong. Ng joins from Latham & Watkins, where he was a senior associate. Ng is the second addition to Taylor Wessing’s new Hong Kong office, since its establishment in July 2016. Prior to Ng’s joining, the firm promoted corporate lawyer Jennifer Ng to partner in May 2017.

Singapore

Dentons Rodyk has hired Kunal Kapoor as a partner in its energy, infrastructure and project finance group. He joins from Ashurst, where he was a counsel. Kapoor is experienced in advising blue chip energy companies and banks across the Asia Pacific on oil and gas, renewable energy and energy infrastructure.

Drew & Napier has named preeminent litigation partner Davinder Singh as its new executive chairman, following his 20-year stint as the firm’s CEO. Fellow litigation partner Cavinder Bull, who co-heads the firm’s competition and regulatory practice, has succeeded Singh as the new CEO. Last year, Singh was appointed to chairman of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), replacing Lucien Wong, former chair and senior partner of Allen & Gledhill who is also currently serving as Singapore’s attorney-general.