Reed Smith has hired arbitration specialist Matthew Townsend as a partner in Hong Kong from PRC law firm Fangda Partners, where he was a counsel.

With more than a decade of experience in arbitration, including ad-hoc and administered arbitration at institutions including the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre, Townsend advises on disputes relating to M&A, energy, infrastructure, and construction and technology.

Prior to joining Fangda in 2016, Townsend was with Norton Rose Fulbright in Beijing for nearly six years. He previously worked at the legacy SJ Berwin and Guangda Law Firm.

Townsend’s addition takes the number of partners at Reed Smith’s Hong Kong office to 24.