Law firm DLA Piper has hired a partner from U.S.-founded rival Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld in Hong Kong to serve as its new restructuring practice leader for the Asia Pacific region, the firm said Tuesday.

Naomi Moore, who has been on sabbatical since she left Akin Gump in January, will divide her time between DLA Piper’s Sydney and Hong Kong offices, the firm said in a statement.

Moore has worked in multiple jurisdictions across the Asia Pacific on cross-border insolvency and restructuring, special situations, distressed debt and private credit, focusing on the energy, real estate, aviation and retail sectors, DLA Piper said.

In a statement, Moore is well known by U.S.-based funds and financial advisers and has a strong global client base, DLA Piper’s global co-chair of restructuring, Chris Parker.

In Hong Kong, Moore joins Trinh Hoang, DLA Piper’s only other restructuring-focused partner in the office, who joined the firm from Linklaters in October last year.

Norton Rose Fulbright and Milbank added Asia restructuring leaders in Singapore in April, as firms are seeing an increasing client demand for the practice in Southeast Asia.

Linklaters added a restructuring head in Hong Kong from Allen & Overy in October.

DLA Piper advised on $13 billion worth of deals involving Southeast Asian companies completed in the first quarter of this year – the second highest for any law firm behind Kirkland & Ellis - according to data from Refinitiv.

An Akin Gump spokesperson wished Moore well in her new role.