A former senior figure at Baker & McKenzie with a special focus on wealth management has switched to KPMG.

Global professional services firm KPMG has appointed a former top-ranking figure at law firm Baker & McKenzie to the role of special advisor, working in areas such as family offices and wealth management.

Michael Olesnicky, based in Hong Kong, reports to Khoon-ming Ho, managing partner for the China/Hong Kong tax practice at KPMG.

Olesnicky made the switch in October, but his appointment was not announced at the time.

At Baker & McKenzie, he was head of the law firm’s tax group in Asia and a member of its global tax steering committee. That practice focuses on corporate tax and tax dispute work, as well as wealth management, trusts and personal estate planning and family succession matters. Olesnicky is an Australian-trained lawyer and has served on a number of governmental and quasi-governmental tax committees in Hong Kong. He was previously a member of the law faculty at Hong Kong University.

Among other activities, Olesnicky is a member of the judging panel for the WealthBriefingAsia Hong Kong Awards for 2015. (The results are due to be announced on 23 April.)