Simpson Thacher & Bartlett has launched its Hong Kong law practice after receiving regulatory approval to go live. The firm’s move to expand into Hong Kong law capabilities is part of a continual strategy to beef up its China offering to clients.

The heads of China practice of fellow U.S. firms Freshfields and Linklaters have joined Simpson Thacher in its latest venture. Christopher Wong, previously Freshfield’s head of corporate practice for China as well as Celia Lam, previously a partner from Linklaters – who was also Linklaters co-managing partner for the Greater China region (Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai) – will commence practice at Simpson Thacher in mid-October.

Lam and Wong will join the firms as partners specializing in M&A and capital markets advisory work.  In tandem with their arrival, more than 10 experienced Hong Kong solicitors will join them to provide Hong Kong law advice to the firm’s existing and potential clients.

The firm’s Hong Kong law advice will be offered from both its Hong Kong and Beijing offices.  A substantial portion of the 40 lawyers in the firm’s Hong Kong office, together with about 20 lawyers based in its Beijing office, will work on transactions involving Chinese companies and other entities.

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett is the latest in a long line of elite U.S. firms to go local following the moves of other Hong Kong-based U.S. firms – most recently Davis Polk and Latham & Watkins which underwent the same process in 2010.

Skadden was the first to establish a local law practice in 2005, and has since been followed by most of the key U.S. IPO firms in the region. 2010 was a year dominated by U.S. localisations in Hong Kong – the impressive list of American firms “going local” included Latham & Watkins, Davis Polk, Cleary Gottlieb, Shearman & Sterling, Milbank and Weil Gotshal.

Leiming Chen, the head of Simpson Thacher’s China practice, said: “The firm is committed to offering our clients based in Greater China, as well as those with interests in the region, the capabilities they need for their most complex transactions.”

Simpson Thacher has offices in Hong Kong and Beijing and has been active in the region for the past two decades.ALB

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