Linklaters Hires Dealmakers to Boost Asia Presence

(Bloomberg) -- Linklaters LLP has rehired two veteran lawyers as the global law firm seeks to grow in Asia.

Betty Yap, until recently managing partner for the China practice of New York-based Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, is joining Linklaters as a partner in its corporate practice, according to a press release. She will continue to be based in Hong Kong and will be global co-head of the financial sponsor group.

This would be a homecoming for Yap as she previously spent 12 years at Linklaters, including five as managing partner of its China practice. Bloomberg News reported last month that Yap was leaving Paul Weiss, which she joined in 2016.

Linklaters is also rehiring Carl Fernandes, a partner at Latham & Watkins LLP based in London. Fernandes will join as a partner in its financial regulation practice. He’ll continue to be based in London and will eventually relocate to Asia. Fernandes previously worked at Linklaters in both Hong Kong and London.

U.K.-based Linklaters, part of a group known as the Magic Circle, has hired a number of partners amid the recent boom in dealmaking. In March, Xiaoxi Lin joined its corporate practice, while Alessandro Nolet joined the banking team. Both are based in Hong Kong. Also in March, Linklaters named William Liu as its regional managing partner for the next four years. Liu has been the firm’s head of China and head of capital markets in Asia since 2018.

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