As part of the firm’s expansion plans for China and Asia, Herbert Smith Freehills has appointed partner Nanda Lau to lead the firm’s Beijing and Shanghai representative offices.
Nanda will continue to lead the firm’s China corporate practice and Shanghai representative office in her new role, reporting to China Managing Partner Matt Emsley.
She will be collaborating on the ground in Beijing with partners Monica Sun and Calvin Ho. Matt Emsley will work with Stanley Xie, a capital market partner of Herbert Smith Freehills Kewei joint operation, to jointly lead the capital markets team in mainland China. Stanley will split his time between Shanghai and Beijing.
Herbert Smith Freehills has been present in China for some 40 years, and has seven partners and 21 lawyers in mainland China, as well as five partners and 27 lawyers at its joint operation firm Kewei.
Established in 2019, the Herbert Smith Freehills-Kewei joint operation allows the firm to provide seamless China-related legal services to clients through a single relationship, including access to quality Chinese law advice from Kewei.
“The China market has changed dramatically since our current structure was created in the 2000s, and our joint operation with Kewei in China has now added even more capabilities and clients,” said Nanda. “The time is right to refresh the structure to reflect our business and clients today by aligning our integrated team approach across the two mainland representative offices to better serve our expansion ambitions.”
“Our China lawyers already work together across the three offices on corporate, capital markets and disputes matters every day,” said China managing partner Matt Emsley. “Nanda’s leadership will strengthen that collaboration and help us increase our work for both existing and new clients.”