Davis Polk & Wardwell has made a rare lateral hire in
Asia, bringing in O’Melveny & Myers Beijing head Howard Zhang. M&A heavyweight Zhang joined the
New York leader at the beginning of this week (7 April).
Davis Polk launched its Beijing office in February 2007 but has had an office in Hong Kong since 1993, with the firm’s China practice now comprising around 25 lawyers.
Highlights for the group in-clude advising Industrial & Commercial Bank of China on its $21.6bn (£10.9bn) initial public offering (IPO) on the Hong Kong and Shanghai stock exchanges — then the world’s largest IPO to date. The firm also has an office in Tokyo.
David Polk rarely brings in lateral partners, but Zhang’s appointment is the third in the last eight months. Last autumn the firm brought in two partners from Paris independent Jeantet, including managing partner Georges Terrier. The move leaves O’Melveny with 12 partners in the China region, with offices in Shanghai and Hong Kong as well as Beijing.
Following Zhang’s departure, tax partner Larry Sussman will take over as head of the firm’s Beijing office. The firm also moved Los Angeles M&A partner Eric Zabinski to the office last week (31 March) to bolster the ranks of senior partners in Beijing.
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