UK firm Simmons & Simmons has fortified its Greater China practice by hiring Lesli Ligorner and Vivien Yang for its Shanghai and Hong Kong offices respectively. Ligorner joins the firm as employment partner, while Yang joins as corporate partner.
Ligorner was formerly a co-chair of Paul Hastings’ international employment law practice and chair of its employment law and anti-corruption practices in China. An employment law expert, she specialises in FCPA and anti-corruption investigations. She also provides strategic employment advice to multinational and local companies in China and Asia.
Prior to joining Paul Hastings in 2003, Ligorner was an associate at Kelley, Drye & Warren between 2000 and 2003. She is also a founding member of the Asia Transformation and Turnaround Association.
Vivien Yang, meanwhile, was the head of natural resources at Clifford Chance’s Hong Kong office before joining Simmons’ energy and infrastructure practice in Hong Kong. She is experienced in mergers and acquisitions, international arbitration, as well as commercial contracts and projects in the energy sector. She focuses particularly on regional LNG, natural gas and oil matters.
Yang has also advised many Asian national oil companies with their evaluations, acquisitions and operations of their oil and gas assets abroad. She is admitted to the New York Bar and Texas Bar.
Speaking on the recruitments, Paul Li, Simmons & Simmons country head of China, said: “China is central to the firm's growth strategy, and these appointments come as part of our commitment to build upon and develop our strength in the region, after finance partner Yongmei Evers Cai joined us in Beijing in the past week.'' ALB
Artemisia Ng is Senior Journalist at ALB. Follow us on Twitter: @ALB_Magazine.
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