Morgan Lewis & Bockius has hired two lawyers from Simmons & Simmons: Corporate expert Karun Cariappa has joined Morgan Lewis Stamford in Singapore, while investment management specialist Helen Fok has joined the Hong Kong office. 

Their hires come at a time when the Philadelphia-based Morgan Lewis has been expanding rapidly across Asia. Last year, the firm hired at least 16 Greater China partners, including 13 from Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe. Other notable hires have been employment partner K. Lesli Ligorner from Simmons & Simmons in Shanghai, litigation partner Charles Mo from Winston & Strawn in Hong Kong and funds partner Alice Huang from PRC law firm Fangda Partners. 

Cariappa, who was an of counsel and co-leader of the India practice at Simmons, mainly represents corporate issuers and investment banks. He focuses on securities offerings such as initial public offerings, follow-on offerings, private placements, bond offerings, and bond restructurings across Asia.

Meanwhile, Fok, who was a counsel at Simmons, advises financial institutions, banks, asset managers, hedge fund managers, custodians, exchanges, alternative trading platforms, and sovereign wealth funds on all matters under the Securities and Futures Ordinance and the Banking Ordinance. 

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