CMS is pleased to announce the merger of its Hong Kong operations through the integration of CMS Hong Kong and CMS Hasche Sigle, Hong Kong LLP. The newly combined firm, CMS Hong Kong LLP, will be led by Steven Wise who assumes the role of Office Managing Partner. Mariel Dimsey, who joins from CMS Hasche Sigle, Hong Kong LLP, will head the international arbitration practice in Hong Kong.
CMS Hong Kong has been operating in Association with CMS Hasche Sigle, Hong Kong LLP since 2018. This combination unifies a team of over 40 lawyers in Hong Kong, significantly strengthening the firm’s presence in the region, building on the CMS reputation established over the last nine years, and enhancing the depth of services it offers. The combined firm's offering spans a wide range of key practice and sector groups, including Banking and Finance, Corporate/M&A, Dispute Resolution, International Arbitration, Insurance & Reinsurance, Intellectual Property, Funds, Life Sciences, Shipping and Trade, and Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT).
Steven Wise, Office Managing Partner, CMS Hong Kong LLP, comments: “The combination represents a significant step forward for the CMS brand in Hong Kong. By bringing together the expertise of CMS Hong Kong and CMS Hasche Sigle, Hong Kong, we are creating a stronger platform that allows us to deliver a broader and more integrated range of services that clients need. The unified CMS Hong Kong team will offer clients the best of both worlds: strong local knowledge paired with truly global insights.”
The firm offers Hong Kong law expertise alongside international law capabilities, supported by CMS’s international network of over 6,300 lawyers across 84 offices. This combination strengthens CMS’s ability to support clients across the Asia-Pacific region, where it has established offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore, Hong Kong, Brisbane and Sydney.
Hubertus Kolster, Senior Partner at CMS Germany, comments: “The close relationship we’ve built with CMS Hong Kong over the years has laid the groundwork for this combination. By unifying our teams, we are now able to offer clients a streamlined approach that enhances collaboration, high quality services, wide coverage of expertise in an important region and market ensuring that we can navigate complex challenges more effectively.”
This merger marks the next stage of growth for the firm’s Asia-Pacific offering, and follows the recent appointment of corporate/M&A partner Steven Tran and leading funds specialists Paul Moloney and Helen Wang in Hong Kong.
Caryn Miller, Joint Managing Director of Asia and the Middle East at CMS UK, comments: “This merger marks an exciting milestone for CMS in the Asia-Pacific region and is a key part of our growth strategy. Clients will benefit from the integration of our teams, which brings greater depth in areas such as International Arbitration and a broader range of legal expertise under one roof. By combining our strengths, we can deliver comprehensive and agile solutions to meet the complex challenges faced by businesses both locally and globally.”
