Hong Kong law firm Swartz, Binnersley & Associates has closed down after about three years of operation, with its two founders, Kristi Swartz and Nigel Binnersley (in pic), moving to DLA Piper and Hauzen respectively.

Swartz and Binnersley set up their firm in November 2018 shortly after leaving Bryan Cave following its merger with the legacy Berwin Leighton Paisner. The pair joined Bryan Cave in 2013 from the Hong Kong office of U.S. law firm Blank Rome, which closed that year.

Binnersley joins Hauzen, which operates in association with PRC firm AnJie, along with senior associate Yolanda Kok and associate Chloe Tong. He has more than 30 years of experience in commercial litigation and arbitration in the Asia-Pacific region. With Binnersley’s addition, Hauzen now has five partners.

Meanwhile, Swartz joins DLA’s intellectual property and technology practice. A former Hong Kong managing partner of the legacy Bryan Cave, she is a regulatory and licensing expert for fintech businesses. Swartz’s arrival means DLA now has 26 partners in Hong Kong.

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