White & Case has hired Chris Kelly as the head of its Asia corporate practice from Linklaters in Hong Kong, where he was the head of private equity for the region.

Kelly’s departure is the most recent high-profile exit for Linklaters in Asia. In March, partners Betty Yap and Judie Ng Shortell headed to Paul Weiss. This followed a string of departures last year, with White & Case snapping up three partners.  

Kelly has more than 25 years of experience in public and private corporate finance and commercial matters.

“Chris is joining White & Case to lead our corporate practice in Asia, and his arrival reflects our ambition to continue strengthening both our M&A and private equity capabilities across the region,” said partner Eric Berg, White & Case’s head of Asia, in a statement.