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U.S. law firm Mayer Brown has expanded its M&A offering in Asia with the addition of insurance and private equity-focused transactions attorney Alison Lee as a partner in Hong Kong.

Lee, who was previously an international counsel at rival U.S. law firm Debevoise & Plimpton, has over 15 years of experience advising companies and private equity firms on cross-border M&A, strategic investments, distribution agreements and secondary sale transactions across Asia.

“Her experience advising sophisticated insurance companies and financial institutions, as well as her work on behalf of PE sponsors, is a perfect match for our M&A strategy across Asia,” Kevin Sheridan, leader of Mayer Brown’s global corporate and securities practice, said in a statement.

Lee has frequently advised Asian insurance giant AIA Group on its strategic investments across Asian markets, including its $1.7 billion acquisition of ING’s insurance business.

Her client list also includes private equity firms Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, D.E. Shaw Group, True North, Kelso & Company, Clearwater Capital Partners; insurance companies AIG, FWD Group, Prudential Financial and Resolution Life; and global corporations including Ant Group, Oaktree Capital Management and Booz Allen Hamilton.

Lee is Mayer Brown’s second Asia partner hire this year, following the addition of M&A specialist Eiji Kobayashi from Greenberg Traurig in Tokyo in June. The firm also entered into a joint venture with Singapore firm PK Wong & Nair towards the end of last year.

At the same time, it also lost two partners, including China projects head Hallam Chow, to PRC firm Haiwen & Partners in Beijing earlier this month. And in February, the head of the firm’s shipping finance and maritime transactions group, Conor Wade, took his practice to CMS in Hong Kong.

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