Linklaters has hired restructuring and insolvency specialist Richard Woodworth as a partner in Hong Kong from fellow Magic Circle firm Allen & Overy, where he was founder and co-head of the Asia-Pacific restructuring and recovery group.

Woodworth is Linklaters’ second Hong Kong lateral partner hire this year, having welcomed back Betty Yap as the global co-head of the financial sponsor group from Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison in January.

With almost 20 years of experience, Woodworth advises creditors, borrowers, insolvency practitioners and stakeholders. His clients have included shipbuilding industry group Vinashin in Vietnam, the secured creditor and appointed receivers of Baha Mar‘s restructuring in the Bahamas, and the co-ordinating committees of creditors involved in the ongoing restructurings of Chinese property developers.

Woodworth joined A&O in 2011, becoming partner in 2016. His arrival at Linklaters takes the number of partners at that firm’s Hong Kong office to 32