Nixon Peabody has appointed David Cheng, a partner in the firm's tax controversies and litigation team, to take over the role of chair and managing partner of  the firm's China and Asia Pacific practice. This follows the defection to DLA Piper of Henry Liu, the previous holder of the position.

Cheng has represented a host of US, European Union and Chinese companies in cross-border matters, and serves as external general counsel for a number of large and emerging Chinese companies, managing their global legal needs. Formerly based in Silicon Valley, Cheng now spends a majority of his time in the firm's Shanghai office, which was opened in 2008.

Cheng's predecessor Henry Liu joined Nixon Peabody in January 2009 from now-defunct firm Heller Ehrman. He had previously served as the general counsel and director-general at the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), and was among several partners who recently left Nixon Peabody for DLA Piper. 

Nixon Peabody currently has three partners and five other legal practitioners located in the Shanghai office. ALB