Offshore law firm Maples Group has hired a four-lawyer team in Hong Kong from Norton Rose Fulbright, including Jonathan Silver, who headed that firm’s North Asia shipping practice.

Joining Silver at Maples Group, which was previously known as Maples and Calder, are Rachel Wong, Maggie Wang and Edwin Lo. Wong and Wang join as associate and legal manager, respectively, while Lo joins Maples’ fiduciary services team.

Silver has nearly 20 years of experience in the fields of shipping and banking & finance. He will lead the Maples’ Asia shipping team, providing British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands and Marshall Islands legal advice, entity formation and fiduciary services to clients. The team is expected to work closely with Sherice Arman, partner and head of the firm’s shipping team in the Cayman Islands office.

Mark Western, managing partner of Hong Kong office and global head of asset finance, said: "We are delighted to welcome Jonathan and team to the Maples Group.  We believe their combined extensive experience in the shipping industry, deep market knowledge of Asia, and Marshall Islands legal expertise will complement our existing global capabilities and enable us to offer a broader service to our clients in the region." 

The arrival of Silver takes the number of partners in Maples’ Hong Kong office to 18. The firm opened an office in Shanghai in March this year. 

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