Mallesons Stephen Jaques is merging its Hong Kong office with local firm Kwok Yih. The deal, which takes effect in October, doubles the headcount of Mallesons' China practice, adds an office in Shanghai and sees Larry Kwok emerge as managing partner of the merged entity.
Both partnerships voted to approve the merger after a two-year courtship that started when Kwok Yih left the Andersen Legal network, which fell apart during the Enron scandal. Undaunted by that experience the 10-year-old firm has bounced back to try its hand at another novel legal alliance - the first cross-border merger with a top Australian law firm.
Larry and Dieter Yih...
