Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has welcomed Alastair Mordaunt, an expert in UK and EU competition law, as partner at its Hong Kong office. Mordaunt joins the firm from Clifford Chance in London.

Mordaunt, who has over 15 years of experience as a regulator and in private practice, is expected to head Freshfields’ competition practice in Hong Kong. His appointment marks a return to old stomping grounds: Mordaunt spent the first eight years of his career at Freshfields in London, Brussels and Washington, D.C.

He also had a five-year stint with the UK Office of Fair Trading, where he served as director of the agency’s Mergers Group as well as director of a dedicated competition enforcement team.

Mordaunt’s hiring comes as Freshfields is shoring up its competition practice in Asia. “We have long been proud of our ability to deliver world-class competition advice throughout Asia, based in large part on extremely strong local teams in Hong Kong, mainland China and Tokyo. Alastair is a market-leading antitrust lawyer whose commercial acumen and experience as a senior regulator will further strengthen the team,” said David Broomhall, global co-head of the firm’s antitrust, competition and trade practice, in a statement.