Mayer Brown announced today that Hong Kong partner Hannah Ha has been appointed chair of the firm’s Asia board following her election to the eight-member global Management Committee, succeeding Duncan Abate who held the role since 2016. The appointment is effective from 1 June 2023.
“Hannah is an outstanding leader of our firm, who has been instrumental to the success of both our practice in Asia and the global Corporate & Securities practice,” said Jon Van Gorp, global chair of Mayer Brown. “I am delighted to welcome Hannah to the global Management Committee at a significant moment for Mayer Brown as we celebrate our 160th anniversary in Hong Kong. Hannah is committed to driving the firm’s strategic vision and building upon Duncan’s work, who I would like to thank for his leadership and commitment over the past seven years.”
Hannah has served in several leadership roles at Mayer Brown, including as co-leader of the global Corporate & Securities practice and on the firm’s Partnership Board. She is recognized as a leading corporate lawyer focused on highly regulated sectors across Mainland China and Hong Kong markets, with deep experience of advising on merger control issues relating to complex cross-border M&A transactions in the PRC. Hannah is also a China-Appointed Attesting Officer and a Notary Public in Hong Kong. An active advocate of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at the firm, Hannah has been listed in IFLR1000 Women Leaders since 2020.
“Mayer Brown remains uniquely positioned to advise the world’s leading companies and financial institutions in each of the world’s three largest financial centers – Hong Kong, London and New York,” said Hannah. “More broadly, our 160th anniversary in Hong Kong is testament to our long-term commitment to the Greater Bay Area, where we increasingly support our local client base through our global practice, including in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. I look forward to working with the global Management Committee and leading the firm in Asia alongside our senior partner for the region, Terence Tung, as we celebrate 160 years of delivering excellence in Asia.”
In January 2023, Mayer Brown announced the establishment of a joint law venture (JLV) with Singapore law firm PK Wong & Nair LLC and became the first JLV established in Singapore since November 2016, where the firm plans to double headcount over the next two years. The firm was recently awarded Hong Kong Law Firm of the Year by Asian Legal Business for the 10th occasion, Pro Bono Team of the Year at the IFLR Asia Pacific Awards, and ‘Outstanding Law Firm in Diversity & Inclusion’ at the Chambers Asia Pacific and Greater China Region Awards 2023. In addition, Mayer Brown has been ranked as a leading law firm by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2023 in 40 practice categories with over 36 lawyers recognized as leading individuals across the region.
“Hannah’s appointment is an exciting new chapter to our 160-year story in Hong Kong and Asia,” said Terence Tung. “2023 has been a successful year for our practice across the region as we continue to grow with our clients and serve the broader community. I look forward to working with Hannah in her new role as we build on this momentum across Asia and celebrate our progress alongside the development of the city where we were founded in 1863.”
