Kirkland & Ellis has appointed Cori Lable as a partner in its global government, regulatory and internal investigations practice group in Hong Kong from Ropes & Gray.
Lable has represented multinational clients throughout Asia in cross-border government investigations, enforcement actions, and related complex civil litigation. She has worked with clients in the pharmaceutical, medical device, private equity, and financial services sectors in white-collar criminal matters related to potential violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and other U.S. securities, export controls, and health-care fraud statutes.
During her 11-year tenure at Ropes, she advised Blackstone on its joint venture with China Vanke in the first transaction to receive clearance from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce under the simplified merger filing procedure.
Lable is part of a five-partner investigations and government enforcement team that Kirkland nabbed from Ropes. The other hires, who will be based in the U.S. and the UK, include Asheesh Goel, Ropes’ Chicago managing partner and co-chair of its global anticorruption and international risk practice.
“Their experience perfectly complements our strong existing team, at a time when demand for sophisticated counsel to help clients navigate a challenging and increasingly complex, cross-border enforcement environment continues to grow,” said Jeffrey C. Hammes, chairman of Kirkland’s global management executive committee, in a statement.
Ropes has seen a raft of partner exits globally this year, including a four-partner team in Hong Kong, led by office head Paul Boltz, leaving for Gibson Dunn & Crutcher in April. Despite this, David Chapin, Ropes & Gray’s managing partner, told ALB in an interview last June that “Hong Kong remains a central part of our strategy, and our commitment to the region remains as strong as ever.”
Ropes’ Hong Kong office now has 10 partners, three focused on M&A and PE work, an area which is thriving in Asia and where the firm remains very strong, says Chapin.
