White & Case has hired leveraged finance partner Daniel Abercromby from Weil Gotshal & Manges in Hong Kong as it seeks to expand its global debt finance practice.

Abercromby specialises in advising private equity funds and their portfolio companies on a wide-range of financings in the Asia-Pacific region. His experience spans leveraged and acquisition financings, direct lending, special situations investments, and restructuring and refinancing.

Eric Leicht, head of White & Case’s global debt finance practice, said: “Investing in our sponsor finance capabilities in Asia-Pacific is integral to meeting the growing client demand in the region for specialist borrower and lender advice.”

He added: “Daniel’s practice and client relationships share many synergies with our existing offerings in Asia-Pacific and will further complement and enhance our ability to serve our clients there.”

Abercromby brings with him almost 15 years of experience, having worked at a number of global law firms. He spent just over a year at Weil, joining from Kirkland & Ellis, where he had a spell of almost five years as a partner in the firm’s debt finance team in both London and Hong Kong. Prior to that he spent seven years as a senior associate at Allen & Overy in London and Singapore, during which time he was seconded to Goldman Sachs and Standard Chartered Bank. He started his career at Bell Gully and then Mayne Wetherell in New Zealand.

Baldwin Cheng, the firm's regional section head for Asia-Pacific corporate, finance and restructuring, said: “Daniel is an experienced and highly regarded sponsor finance lawyer in the Asia-Pacific region. His arrival demonstrates our ambitions and commitment to sponsor finance and for the continued development and expansion of our M&A practice and private equity industry group in Asia-Pacific.”

In February 2019, the New York-based firm hired a four-lawyer private equity team from Ropes & Gray in Hong Kong, including co-head of private equity Daniel Yeh. All four joined as partners.

Donald Baker, a member of White & Case’s global executive committee, said: “The global private equity industry is a strategic priority for White & Case and strengthening our sponsor finance offering through the addition of Daniel supports that and further builds on our growth in Asia-Pacific."

In June, fellow New York firm Milbank has hired Liang Tao as a partner from Allen & Overy to bolster the firm’s pan-Asia capital markets offering.