Linklaters has made up three new partners and appointed four new counsel to the firm's Asia offices as of 1 May.

The firm has elevated three Asia-based lawyers to partnership - financial markets lawyer Umesh Kumar in Hong Kong, as well as corporate transactions attorneys Jiro Toyokawa in Tokyo and Samantha Thompson in Hong Kong.

Additionally, the firm has also elected 18 new counsel across its 10 offices, four of whom are based in Asia. Hong Kong-based lawyers Wilson Ang, Rosamund Barker and Howard Lam have been appointed from the litigation, capital markets and banking practices respectively, along with Singapore-based corporate & M&A lawyer Sophie Mathur.

The elevations are part of a global round of promotions for the firm, which comprised of 18 new lawyers elevated to partnership, two-thirds of whom were based in London, as well as 29 salaried partners joining the equity and 18 new counsel.

The firm has also replaced outgoing Asia managing partner Giles White with its current China managing partner, Zili Shao.