RPC has hired partner Andrea Randall from leading Hong Kong independent Gall to set up a local employment practice.

She is making the move five years after joining Gall and in her new role will help the UK firm grow its employment law capability in Asia. Qualified in both London and Hong Kong, Randall brings with her a commercially focused practice, acting for both leading international and local businesses, as well as senior managers, chief executives and board-level individuals.

Her practice spans advisory and contentious employment work, as well as related regulatory investigations and dovetails with RPC’s local financial services disputes practice, led by Jonathan Crompton. Her arrival will benefit RPC’s UK clients, especially in core markets like professional services, banking and insurance, and she is expected to work closely with RPC's Singapore joint venture RPC Premier Law.

RPC’s managing partner, Anthony Sassi, said: “Employment is a new practice area for us in Hong Kong but an obvious one that strategically makes sense given the strength of the team in the UK, our capability in Singapore and the ability to plug a lawyer with Andrea's impressive credentials into our institutional clients here in the region.”

Randall’s departure from Gall is a rare exit from the well-established independent firm, which has built up a strong referral following within the Special Administrative Region, as well as from Chinese and international businesses. 

The firm moved swiftly to replace Randall, hiring Matthew Durham from Simmons & Simmons’ Shanghai arm last week. Durham joined Simmons as a partner in 2017, prior to which he had served as the regional head of employment at Winston & Strawn, which he joined from Clyde & Co in 2013. His practice largely mirrors Randall’s, making him an ideal replacement. 

Last week, top Wall Street firm Milbank unveiled a quartet of partner-level lateral hires in Hong Kong, secured from Clifford Chance and Linklaters. In December, UK firm Charles Russell Speechlys deepened its commitment to Hong Kong by registering to practise local law.