SJ Berwin has reinforced its move towards becoming an international firm by setting up an office in Dubai less than a month after launching in Hong Kong.

SJ Berwin has reinforced its move towards becoming an international firm by setting up an office in Dubai less than a month after launching in Hong Kong.

The Dubai and Hong Kong offices mark a new era for SJ Berwin, which previously concentrated on the European markets following its merger with German alliance firm Kopf Tulloch Steiniger in 2005.

London-based litigation partner Tim Taylor and Paris-based corporate partner Benjamin Aller are relocating to the Middle East to spearhead the Dubai move.

Aller’s practice focuses on private equity fund formation while Taylor, who is a solicitor-advocate, has represented clients ranging from hedge funds to investment banks.

For its Hong Kong launch SJ Berwin hired Dewey & LeBoeuf Hong Kong head Daniel Liew. He has become SJ Berwin’s Asia managing partner, working alongside commercial partner Peter Tse and real estate partners Hans Thomas Kessler and Giovanna Kwong, who joined from Dewey last year.

The expansion comes after the firm cut at the start of the year (TheLawyer.com, 22 January).