McDermott Will & Emery hires Peter Lu and four others to boost its China-Europe investment

McDermott Will & Emery hires Peter Lu and four others to boost its China-Europe investment

They were all serving at Baker McKenzie China

One of the top 25 US law firms, McDermott Will & Emery has appointed Peter Lu as the global head of its China practice. He has moved to London alongside counsel Tina Hartwright, associate Ennio Keyte, corporate transactions specialist Alonso de Reyes Lanfranco, and paralegal Ziye Ke.

Lu is the eighth partner to join McDermott’s London office since 2021.

With over 14 years of experience advising clients on cross-border M&A, and litigation, his practice covers joint ventures, directors’ duties, governance matters, complex restructurings, disputes, and crisis management.

Harris Siskind, the global head of the Chicago-based firm’s transactions group said that Lu’s hire would enhance McDermott’s credibility in the China-Europe deals market. He added, “China is currently the EU’s largest trading partner and outbound investment from Chinese investors into the EU remains robust despite recent legislation on foreign direct investments in Europe.”

Steve Scholes, the head of McDermott’s global litigation and dispute resolution group, said Lu’s experience in supervising large-scale complex international litigation cases on behalf of Chinese clients would strengthen the firm’s cross-border litigation offering.

Lu remarked, “I am thrilled to join McDermott and be part of such an entrepreneurial venture. The firm is achieving ambitious growth globally and provides a great platform to serve my clients.”

He has worked with Chinese multinationals including Bank of China, China Telecom, and ICBC. He was earlier a counsel at White & Case and an associate at Herbert Smith Freehills and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. For four years, he served at Baker McKenzie.