Japanese law firm Atsumi & Sakai has grown its roster after hiring Chris Hodgens and Makiko Harada as partners.

Japanese firm Tokyo International Law Office has continued its growth this year with the hire of two new partners: Makiko Kawamura joins from EY Japan to launch a new tax practice, while construction expert Hojung Jun comes on board from Baker McKenzie.

U.S law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges and Wong & Partners, Baker McKenzie’s Malaysia member firm, have guided investment firm Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) and a consortium led by Khazanah Nasional Bhd, respectively, on a $2.6 billion take-private offer for Malaysia Airports Holdings (MAH).

Baker McKenzie’s South Korean alliance law firm with KL Partners, Baker McKenzie KLP JV, has bolstered its dispute capabilities with the addition of arbitration partner Sunyoung Kim from Lee & Ko in Seoul.

Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright has bolstered its banking and finance capabilities in Singapore with the addition of Beelee Seah from Baker McKenzie, where he was a local principal.

Allen & Overy has advised ESR Group on the establishment by its South Korean platform of Korea’s first perpetual, open-ended core logistics fund, with Baker McKenzie representing APG Asset Management on its investment into the fund exceeding $400 million.

Tokyo International Law Office has hired corporate expert Jean-Denis Marx as a partner from Baker McKenzie, where he had worked for three decades.

In October, Baker McKenzie entered into a joint venture with Korean law firm KL Partners in a show of the firm’s commitment to grow in Asia at a time when some other international firms were shrinking their footprints. The JV will be jointly run by Bakers’ Jae-Hyon Ahn and KL’s Beomsu Kim, who tell ALB how this will benefit clients in both Korea and overseas.

International law firm Sullivan & Cromwell has guided Taiwan Cement Corporation (TCC) on its $2.2 billion further investment in Turkish pension fund Ordu Yardımlaşma Kurumu’s (OYAK) cement business, which was advised by Esin Attorney Partnership, Baker McKenzie’s member firm in Turkey.

Indian law firm Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas has advised India’s Aster DM Healthcare on the sale of its Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) business for $1 billion to a consortium led by UAE sovereign-owned private capital firm Fajr Capital and Affinity Holdings, a company held by Aster’s promoters.