Law firm Squire Patton Boggs has reinforced its Hong Kong commodities and shipping litigation practice with three hires from Ince.

Ruaridh Guy has joined Squire Patton Boggs as a partner alongside two associates, Tina Wong and Lauras Rambinas.

The firm says the trio has expertise in shipping disputes including those relating to bills of lading, charterparties and collisions, and regularly work on commodities disputes and issues related to letters of credit and guarantees.

Guy has acted in arbitration and court proceedings in Hong Kong, Seoul and Singapore and has also represented creditors and liquidators in insolvency matters.

Squire Patton Boggs’ Hong Kong office managing partner James Tsang says Guy “brings specialist litigation expertise to the firm and his wide-ranging client base will also create opportunities for our other practices in Hong Kong and across the Asia Pacific region”.

Guy arrives after a 13-year stint at Ince, while Wong and Rambinas joined the firm in 2021 and 2022 respectively.

Ince has lost almost 20 lawyers from it shipping team over the past month, according to reports in the legal press, with two eight-strong teams departing for rival firms Hill Dickinson and Stephenson Harwood.

The firm says it operates independently from the UK’s 156-year-old Ince Group, which bought by law firm Axiom earlier this year. Last month the renamed Axiom Ince was shut down by the Solicitors Regulation Authority amid allegations client money was used to fund the acquisition.