Global law firm Dentons has strengthened its litigation and arbitration practice in Hong Kong after hiring three lawyers from Norton Rose Fulbright, namely partner Alfred Wu (L), senior consultant Philip Nunn, and senior associate Muriel Cheng.

The new additions bring Dentons Hong Kong's lawyer count to 35, including 11 partners. Wu, Nunn, and Cheng were part of a five-lawyer disputes team that moved to Norton Rose Fulbright in 2015 from Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson when the latter exited Asia.

Wu’s practice covers corporate finance, M&A, funds, joint ventures, shareholders, property and employment disputes, as well as insolvency and restructuring matters. His client base includes banks, Hong Kong-listed issuers, multinational corporations, funds, accountants/liquidators and high-net-worth individuals.

Wu, who also has a particular focus on construction litigation and arbitration, joined Fried Frank in 2012, having had previous stints at Sidley Austin, the legacy Johnson Stokes & Master, and the legacy Denton Hall/Denton Wilde Sapte.

"The new team's deep understanding of international dispute resolution with a construction focus, their market reputation coupled with their past experience, brings a distinctive advantage to our clients," said Elliott Portnoy, Dentons’ global CEO, in a statement.

Added Keith Brandt, managing partner and head of the litigation and dispute resolution practice at Dentons Hong Kong: "Their strong reputations and deep expertise will further demonstrate our commitment to delivering unparalleled legal services to our clients, both locally and globally."

This move is part of Dentons' ongoing expansion in Hong Kong. The firm hired M&A and capital markets partner Stephen Chan from Dechert in June and debt finance and investment funds partner Charles Yim from local firm Gallant in April.

However, Dentons also saw the departure of capital markets partner Rachel Han to Dorsey & Whitney in July.