The firm will now have 20 lawyers operating across the three offices, placing it firmly among the top US firms with a presence in Asia.
The Shanghai office will be led by partners Eva Wang and Weishi Li.
Timothy Hester, chair of the firm’s management committee, commented: ‘Our Shanghai office enhances our practices in life sciences and technology transactions, FCPA [Foreign Corrupt Practices Act], capital markets, M&A and securities in China and places those capabilities in the heart of one of Asia’s most dynamic business centres.’

Baltic blast

Elsewhere, Estonian law firms Glikman & Partnerid and Alvin Rödl & Partner Law Office have merged to create one of the largest law firms in the country.
Yesterday’s announcement confirmed that the merged practice will operate under the name Law Firm Glikman Alvin & Partners, with offices located in Tallinn and Jõhvi.
Leon Glikman, named partner partner of Law Firm Glikman Alvin & Partners, commented: ‘Both our firms were among the oldest in Estonia, while our current and future potential partners include several outstanding attorneys from younger generations. The market needs highly specialised top attorneys with long term experience, which requires a large multifunctional firm.’

German expansion

In Germany, London-based international firm Simmons & Simmons announced the opening of a Munich office.
Simmons confirmed today that the outpost will open in March, adding to the firm’s already established presence in Düsseldorf and Frankfurt.
The office will initially be staffed by three partners, as well as several associates. The partners are intellectual property specialists Rowan Freeland and Thomas Adam, and corporate lawyer Oliver Beyer.

London cash cow

Meanwhile, back in the UK capital, the London arm of Los Angeles-based law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan has reported a 20 per cent rise in cash revenues in 2012, compared to 2011 figures.
According to Legal Week, the office raked in £27.5 million. Richard East, the co-managing partner of the 10-partner City base, estimated that 67 per cent (£18.4m) of 2012 revenue was profit, a 16 per cent jump compared to the previous year's figure of £15.9m.