By Natasha Mellersh From CDR

The offshore firm has launched an Asia disputes and restructuring group in Hong Kong, appointing a prominent senior advocate to head up the new team.

Conyers Dill & Pearman has responded to increasing demand for litigation services in the Asian market by expanding its litigation practice overseas, with the launch of an Asian disputes and restructuring group (ADRG). The group will be led by Nigel Meeson QC, formerly of Quadrant Chambers, who joins the Hong Kong office from the Cayman Islands where he helped establish a litigation practice in 2007, after leaving the set.

The move comes in tandem with significant growth experienced by the firm’s corporate practice in the region, which celebrated its 30th anniversary this year with a lavish party. “We are pleased to welcome Nigel to the region,” head of the Hong Kong office, Christopher Bickley, said in a statement.

He continued: “Broadening our litigation service offering through a QC-led team provides clients with greater access to sophisticated advice. Adding additional ways to support clients ultimately increases the value we bring to them.”

Leaving behind the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean, Meeson is taking a significant step to make his mark on the other side of the world. However the move is not as daunting as one might think, considering his experience in commercial, offshore, insolvency and company law disputes, while Asian demand for offshore corporate shells remains strong amongst family companies and multinational giants alike.

Meeson knows the kinds of issues likely to be raised in Hong Kong disputes, having practiced at the Bar in London for nearly 25 years on similar types of claims that arose in London, before setting up the firm’s litigation practice in the Cayman Islands. Building upon the experience of the existing multi-lingual litigation team in Hong Kong, Meeson will be able to add both his leadership qualities and expertise to the Asia disputes practice.

Narinder Hargun, the firm’s global head of litigation and co-chairman said: “The Asian market is of utmost importance. The demand for real-time litigation services is paramount; Conyers’ global approach and reliable, quality expertise is unprecedented and built to ensure clients receive the most comprehensive advice available.”

A number of offshore law firms, such as Ogier, Harneys, and Walkers, to name but three, have all invested in recent years in senior level litigation appointments in the region. Braving financial woes in China, law firms are still looking east for growth opportunities. With established arbitration centres such as the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC) and Singapore International Arbitration Centre going strong, Asia remains a key hub for the disputes market. It is not only offshore firms that are seeking to emphasise their presence in the region, as numerous London chambers have set up shop or expanded in Asia’s offshore markets to benefit from the continuing disputes activity.

This is not to say that the Caribbean offshore market is showing any signs of slowing down, with disputes work rising steadily over the past few years; private as well as public means of commercial redress remains popular, with the British Virgin Islands (BVI) offering, through the BVI Arbitration Act 2013, paving the way for a local arbitration centre for such work without a Chinese element.

Recruitment is also on the up, and Mourant Ozannes’ BVI office has bolstered its partnership with the promotion of litigation and insolvency specialists Eleanor Morgan and Nicholas Fox.

For more on this story go to: http://www.cdr-news.com/categories/litigation/featured/5857-conyers-dill-and-pearman-launches-asia-disputes-team