Global law firm Herbert Smith Freehills has welcomed back Ben Jolley as its head of construction disputes in Tokyo from an in-house role at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI).

At MHI, Jolley was director of the international counsel team. He joined the company in 2021 from HSF, where he had spent the entirety of his 13-year career till date, leaving as a senior associate.

In his new role at the firm, Jolley will focus on construction, infrastructure, and energy disputes. Having worked with Japanese clients over the past 12 years, he has experience in arbitration cases across Asia, Europe, Africa and North America under various institutional rules.

"Ben's legal skills and deep understanding of our Japanese clients make him a valuable addition at a time of rising client demand," said David Gilmore, Tokyo head of disputes at HSF, in a statement.

Jolley's return marks HSF’s second partner-level hire in the disputes space in Asia this year, following the firm's addition of Pariyapol Kamolsilp as a partner in Bangkok in April.

HSF will have eight partners in Tokyo once Jolley’s licence application is approved. They include energy partner Lachlan Clancy, who joined the firm in October from King & Spalding.