Allen & Overy has opened an office in Seoul as part of its strategy to strengthen its presence and offerings in Asia as well as other high-growth markets.

Energy and project finance partner Matthias Voss will be managing partner of the South Korean branch and will be assisted by partner Jean Lee and counsel Kyu Bang.

According to the terms of regulatory approvals, Allen & Overy will not provide Korean law advice and will continue to collaborate with local relationship firms. Building on the firm’s three-decades-long experience in the country, the new office is expected to give Korea-based clients or those interested in investing in Korea the full benefits of Allen & Overy’s global network. It will also expand the range of work across M&A, IP, arbitration, antitrust, capital markets and projects.

“The pivotal role South Korea plays in the global economy means we are seeing growing demand from clients for both inbound and outbound advice in this market,” said Wim Dejonghe, the firm’s global managing partner, in a statement.

“The crucial ingredient to opening in any market is always ensuring we have the best quality people who are able to meet the demands of our clients. The product and sector expertise offered by Matthias and Jean supported by Kyu will enable us to tap into the huge opportunities to work for Korean clients across a number of sectors, particularly energy and infrastructure.”