Hogan Lovells has appointed former Allen & Overy attorney Jeff Olson as partner in its Ho Chi Minh City office. US-qualified Olsen will be Hogan Lovells’ first partner in Vietnam.

Olson specialises in M&A, corporate, joint venture and foreign direct investment related matters and worked in New York before moving to Asia.

“Vietnam is a key market for our international clients and a gateway to ASEAN international trade,” Hogan Lovell’s global corporate head David Gibbons said. “Jeff’s presence on the ground in Vietnam will complement our offering.”

Earlier this year Hogan Lovells expanded its Asia offering by adding ex-Freshfields’ TMT partner Mark Parsons in January, and M&A specialist Steven Tran in September to the Hong Kong office.

The firm operates in 22 jurisdictions across Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and the United States with over 1000 lawyers, including 350 partners.