Law firms from US boost their HK staffs

When Cathy Palmer first came to Hong Kong as a US prosecutor more than 20 years ago, she was chasing heroin-smuggling triads who later sent a booby-trapped package to her New York City office.

Since March, she has been in the city "talking to people about tough things" to help clients deal with mushrooming investigations into potential crimes and corporate misconduct.

Palmer's US law firm isn't alone in boosting its presence in Hong Kong, home to the Asia headquarters of many Wall Street banks.