Withers in Asia has hired a dozen individuals, including several high-profile lawyers.

International law firm Withers in Asia has hired a 12-strong team experienced in representing clients such as family offices and entrepreneurs.

The team is led by Mabel Lui, who joins as head of the Greater China commercial practice. Lui, who was previously Winston & Strawn’s head of corporate in Asia, has more than 40 years of experience on China-related matters, including advising the foreign investor in the first Sino-foreign joint venture in China in 1979. The team also consists of two partners, four associates, three paralegals and other support staff.

The team has “considerable experience of representing the core of our client base, including family offices, major shareholders, entrepreneurs and privately-held companies, as well as state-owned enterprises”, Margaret Robertson, Withers CEO, said.

The new team advises on areas including corporate, commercial, intellectual property, real estate and trusts and estates matters. The team is made up of: 

-- Lui, who focuses in M&A, investment, capital market, real estate and private wealth management matters. Before joining Winston & Strawn, she led DLA Piper's Asian Corporate team for 17 years, developing its capabilities across the region. Lui is qualified in Hong Kong, England & Wales, New York, Victoria, Australia and Singapore and speaks fluent English, Cantonese and Mandarin; 

-- Polly Chu is a partner specialising in corporate real estate matters, including M&A and real estate transactions including acquisition finance, bank finance, leasing and management advice, as well as wealth planning and probate and estate work; and 

-- Daniel Tang is a partner focused on cross-border international M&A, joint ventures, private equity/venture capital and corporate and commercial matters relating to investment in mainland China and Hong Kong.

Other members of the team are associate and private client specialist Deirdre Fu, associates David Cheng and Kathy Ku (both joining Withers on 20 July), trainee Bobby Fung and paralegals Quinncy Wu, Mei Ching Yeung and Lana Yuen.

Earlier this year, corporate partner Anthony Indaimo, Withers' former global head of corporate and commercial business and former chairman, relocated to Singapore to lead its international corporate practice in Asia. Withers has also hired partners and senior lawyers including hotels specialist Lada Shelkovnikova, Farhana Siddiqui from Drew & Napier, Lawrence Altman from K&L Gates and India-focused partner Mahesh Kumar in Singapore, along with its new Head of Asia desk, Azlinda Ariffin-Boromand, in London.