Chinese New Year Defections In Play

It’s that time of year when you repay all the investment that’s been put into you and your team by buggering off in the direction of pastures anew and the lure  ( we’d imagine) of more filthy lucre

 

The Lawyer reports today

 

The Lawyer Asia
Bird & Bird hit by six-person defection from China IP team

?Just a year ago Bird & Bird CEO David Kerr laid out his firm’s strategy for Asia, telling us that the region had become “the firm’s top priority” and as such it had “taken important steps to prioritise growth in Asia”.

Fast-forward to now and the firm has suffered something of a set-back after a team led by Hong Kong IP rainmaker Ai-Leen Lim defected to AWA Asia, the local branch of IP consultancy Awapatent.

Having begun her career in Singapore’s Registry of Trademarks and Patents, Lim has also worked for Stephenson Harwood and Singapore firm Colin Ng & Partners, making her perfectly qualified to provide what AWA Asia terms an “East-meets-West approach”.

Western clients have long needed advice on their business dealings in Asia, but as the number of Asian clients looking to do business in Europe continues to rise lawyers with experience of acting in both directions are likely to become more popular than ever.

Western firms that have spent time and money building up their practices in the region be warned: your lawyers are likely to be in high demand.