International law firm announces Chinese association

Stephenson Harwood has announced an association with Chinese firm Wei Tu. The partnership is under the CEPA arrangements and will be known as Stephenson Harwood – Wei Tu (China) Association. Wei Tu is based in Guangzhou and is led by Xianming Lu, who is very familiar with the firm’s new associates having worked there for a number of years.
The association will allow Stephenson Harwood to offer clients a ‘one stop service’ for Hong Kong, English and PRC law advice (with the PRC advice being offered by Wei Tu).
Stephenson Harwood has been bolstering its Asia-Pac capabilities this year with the appointment of partners Richard Wilmot from the Hong Kong office of Watson, Farley & Williams, and King Tak Fung and Ivan Ng from Eversheds in Hong Kong.
 
Former US Ambassador to Australia joins Dentons
Jeffrey L. Bleich, the former US Ambassador to Australia and Special Counsel to President Obama, has joined Dentons as a partner. Based in San Francisco, Bleich began his career as a litigator and has represented many of America’s leading companies in the technology, security, media, finance and manufacturing sectors.
As the 24^th US Ambassador to Australia, his term was marked by the US rebalance to the Asia Pacific region, with Australia being the focal point for that shift. His efforts included overseeing record growth in trade and investment between the US and Australia and bringing the Defense Trade Cooperation Treaty into force.
 
A&O boosts regulatory team
Allen & Overy has appointed Charlotte Robins as a partner in its global financial services regulatory practice in Hong Kong. Robins is dual Hong Kong and England & Wales qualified and joins from Norton Rose Fulbright where she has been a partner for the past five years.