The Hong Kong-based multinational conglomerate Jardine Matheson has hired M&A, joint venture and equity capital market specialist Matthew Bland as group general counsel from Linklaters, where he was a partner.

Bland, who was based in Tokyo, has relocated to Hong Kong for the role. He spent more than 24 years at Linklaters in London and Tokyo, including 14 years as a partner.

With his departure Linklaters now has eight partners in Tokyo.