The move comes after the firm lost IP partners Peggy Cheung, Anita Leung and Chiang Ling Li, and of counsel Helen Tang, to US rival Jones Day. The four lawyers announced their departure in August.

Maria Smith and Angeline Lee have joined Baker & McKenzie’s Hong Kong office as senior associates.

Until December 2005, Smith was a partner with Johnson Stokes & Master where she headed the firm’s trade mark department. She then moved back to her native South Africa.

Lee was regional anti money-laundering compliance manager at Western Union Financial Services and has worked for law firms in Singapore. She is admitted to the Singapore bar.

UK-qualified Sian Bowen will also join as a senior associate.

Gloria Poon and Annie Tsoi will join Baker & McKenzie as associates in the Hong Kong office. (This is not the same Annie Tsoi as the IP partner in the Hong Kong office of Deacons.)

Clement Ngai has joined the firm as a senior associate in its Shanghai office. Ngai was previously Asia IP counsel for US company Honeywell. He is admitted as a solicitor in Hong Kong.

From November, US-qualified partner Winston Zee will move from Baker & McKenzie’s corporate department, where he specialized in cross-border counselling, M&A and tax planning, to its IP team.