Latham & Watkins Brings On Disney Lawyer In Hong Kong

Latham & Watkins announced on Monday it hired a former senior attorney for The Walt Disney Co. to serve as counsel in its entertainment, sports and media practice in the greater China region.

Lex Kuo worked in-house at Disney for two years in Beijing and is joining the firm from Covington & Burling’s Beijing’s office where he was an associate.

Initially, Kuo is joining Latham as counsel in Hong Kong and expects to move to the firm’s Beijing office in 2017. He plans to advise Chinese and international clients on cross-border financing, development, production and distribution of media and entertainment projects.

Joe Calabrese, global chair of Latham’s entertainment, sports & media practice group, said in a statement that Chinese companies are “making unprecedented investments in media and entertainment ventures.”

“He has worked in the industry in Greater China both as an in-house executive and an outside advisor, which brings valuable perspective and on-the-ground capabilities for clients in the region,” Calabrese wrote.

Latham says its sports and media practice has advised on a range of matters in China and Asia. The firm served as outside counsel to Legendary Entertainment in its $3.5 billion acquisition by Dalian Wanda Group and represented the former president of Paramount Film Group in the formation of a new U.S. media company.

Kuo, who is licensed to practice law in California, New York, China and Taiwan, said in a statement he is excited to be a part of Latham’s “preeminent” entertainment practice. The group has earned a reputation for creativity, teamwork and leadership, he said.

“I look forward to advising clients within Greater China and globally in conjunction with my colleagues, particularly as the nexus between Hollywood and China continues to grow stronger,” Kuo wrote in a Monday statement.

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