Berwin Leighton Paisner has hired Mark Stevens as a real estate partner in Hong Kong from Mayer Brown JSM.

Stevens, who was a partner at Mayer Brown for almost 15 years, will build BLP’s real estate private equity and M&A service in Asia.

“Offering market leading real estate private equity and M&A advice to existing and prospective clients is a key part of our Real Estate strategy in Asia,” Andrew MacGeoch, the firm’s head of Asia real estate and infrastructure, said in a statement.

The UK firm has been boosting its Asia presence – particularly Hong Kong – in the past few years with senior hires. Last year, BLP hired Gavin Margetson to its Singapore office as regional head of international arbitration from Herbert Smith Freehills’ Bangkok office and Andrew MacGeoch in Hong Kong as Asia head for hospitality and leisure from Mayer Brown.

In 2016, the firm acquired Hong Kong asset financing boutique firm William KK Ho & Co, and nabbed private client expert Marcus Dearle in Hong Kong from Withers, where he worked for 25 years. In 2015, BLP bought local construction and arbitration boutique Haley & Co also in Hong Kong.

Chris de Pury, the firm’s head of real estate, added in the statement: “We expect to see continued growth of the team in 2018 and 2019 with senior and other supporting hires.”