Herbert Smith Freehills has made a double litigation hire in Hong Kong from Kirkland & Ellis and Latham & Watkins to strengthen its commercial disputes team.

The incoming duo include Paul Quinn and Truman Mak who both join as partners from Kirkland and Latham respectively. Quinn advises boards, funds, liquidators, auditors and shareholders on complex domestic and international commercial disputes, particularly in professional negligence, company law, director’s duties, shareholder disputes, insolvency and fraud.

Mak advises on complex commercial litigation, with expertise in financial sector disputes, shareholder disputes, fraud, contentious insolvency and restructuring, cryptocurrency issues and financial regulatory proceedings.

Simon Chapman KC, Asia head of dispute resolution at HSF, said: “In complex times, more clients are seeking our advice on disputes of all types, and Paul and Truman will help us meet that demand. Their skills will allow us to expand our practice and will complement the work of our existing practitioners.”

Quinn – who is due to join next month – makes the switch after nine years at Kirkland, having made partner in 2017. He previously had spells at litigation boutique Karas So in Hong Kong and King & Wood Mallesons in Melbourne, where he started his career.

Mak is rejoining HSF after just over two years as an associate at Latham. He previously spent eight years at HSF, where he started his career.

Asia managing partner Graeme Preston said the hires would bolster the firm’s disputes coverage in Hong Kong. “Paul and Truman’s experience and industry knowledge, particularly in the finance, private capital and tech industries, will help us support our clients as they face today’s market challenges,” he added.

The firm’s disputes department now numbers 13 partners overall. HSF promoted international arbitration partner Murphy Mok in the firm’s 2024 partner round, bolstering the disputes team locally. Fellow arbitration lawyer Helen Tang was promoted to partner in 2018, with Tomas Furlong promoted in 2019 and JoJo Fan in 2020, the year in which Chapman took silk.

Rajah & Tann, meanwhile, added Michelle Li in January to its Shenzhen office as the head of its international arbitration, construction and projects practices in China from HSF. She reunited with fellow former HSF partner Hew Kian Heong, who is managing the Shenzen office as a whole.