Herbert Smith Freehills has hired M&A and competition lawyer Niab Paiboon as partner in Bangkok from Allen & Overy.

Niab has more than 12 years of experience in advising Thai and international clients on public and private M&A in sectors such as energy, petrochemicals, TMT, food and beverage, financial institutions, consumer and automotive. As part of her M&A practice, Niab has built up experience in competition law in Thailand in areas such as merger control regulations.

Her hire continues HSF’s streak of lateral hires in Southeast Asia this year. In February, HSF added project finance partner Rupert Baker and capital markets partner Xavier Amadei in Singapore. Then in April, Hiswara Bunjamin & Tandjung (HBT), HSF’s Indonesia association firm, hired Abimata Putra and Irfan Ghazali as partners in Jakarta. HBT also lost partners Narendra Adiyasa and Teguh Arwiko to Widyawan & Partners, Linklaters’ Indonesia association firm, in that time.

Niab spent 12 years with A&O in Singapore, London and Bangkok. Her addition has taken HSF’s partner strength in Jakarta to 15.