Gibson Dunn & Crutcher has hired a new competition partner in Hong Kong focused on intellectual property issues.

Sébastien Evrard joins the firm from Jones Day where he had worked since 2003 in Brussels and Beijing.

Dan Swanson, co-chair of Gibson Dunn’s antitrust and competition practice, said: "The rapid emergence of Chinese competition enforcement, Hong Kong’s new competition law, and cross-border enforcement across the region has made antitrust regulation a key consideration for firms doing business in Asia."

Evrard represents companies in merger reviews, government antitrust investigations and other contentious matters before Asian and European regulators.

Globally, the Los Angeles-based firm has 1200 lawyers across 18 offices, with 16 lawyers in Hong Kong including six partners.