Relative newcomer to Asia, Reed Smith, has added two partners and a group of attorneys to its Beijing office after capitalising on their exclusion from a Dewey Ballantine merger.

New partners Sharon Mann and Hugh Scogin Jr, as well as new counsel Michael Dardzinski, were part of the Beijing office of Dewey Ballantine but were not part of the New York firm's union with LeBoeuf Lamb Greene & MacRae in January. They were joined by other lawyers and legal professionals in their move over to Reed Smith.

Mann is a former senior director of the Trade Facilitation Office at the US Embassy in Beijing, and advises on Chinese investment, capital markets and trade issues, while Scogin is a corporate partner focusing on investment and other corporate transactions. Dardzinski also has a corporate focus, with experience in M&A and disputes.

Reed Smith officially began operations in Asia when its merger with Richards Butler's Hong Kong and China arm became effective at the start of this year.