Meet The Team
Our Staff
Ben Cooper
Managing Partner
He has been awarded Best Recruitment Consultant in Asia-Pacific by Global Recruiter and awarded Best Legal & Compliance Headhunter in Asia-Pacific by AsiaMoney.
He moved to Hong Kong in January, 2010, and has been highly successful in the legal recruitment market since then, placing lawyers and compliance professionals from mid to senior level. He founded Ashford Benjamin Ltd, with the firm belief that the legal market in Hong Kong deserved a better, new kind of search firm.
Ben is a regular contributor to legal journals and is actively involved with furthering the legal profession in Hong Kong; being regularly invited to sit on industry discussion panels and regularly attending Hong Kong Law Society functions.
Aside from legal recruitment, Ben sits on the fund-raising committee of Liberty Asia – an anti-slavery charity, and has advised students on legal careers at Hong Kong University’s Law School.
Ben can be reached at ben.cooper@ashford-benjamin.com or on +852 2315 9501.
Mohit Savalani
Partner
During his tenure, his team were awarded Best Legal Recruitment Team in Hong Kong by the Recruitment International Awards in 2015 and 2016. Additionally, at the Global Recruiter Awards in 2015, Mohit was commended as a finalist for Best Recruitment Consultant in the APAC region.
Mohit was born and raised in Hong Kong and attended The University of Manchester for his further education. He has grown to be one of Hong Kong’s leading legal recruiters due to his excellent delivery and service.
Mohit can be reached at msavalani@ashford-benjamin.com or on +852 2315 9507.
Michael Allen
Partner
Michael has a degree in Business, and experience working in both London and Hong Kong. He started his career in 2010 in London at a global recruitment firm across banking and alternative investments, before joining an international search firm in 2014 and moving to Hong Kong.
Michael can be reached at mallen@ashford-benjamin.com or on +852 2315 9502.
VIVIAN CHEN
director
Vivian is highly recommended by both clients and candidates as a valuable and trustworthy partner. She has placed over 100 risk and compliance professionals into roles within financial institutions in Hong Kong, and joined Ashford Benjamin to cement its position as Hong Kong’s premier corporate governance search firm.
Vivian can be reached at vchen@ashford-benjamin.com or on +852 2315 9503.
DOMINIC THURMOTT
DIRECTOR (SINGAPORE)
Dominic has over a decade of executive search experience in Asia, where he specialises across the placement of mid-senior Risk Management, Internal Audit and Compliance professionals for leading banks and financial institutions.
From the UK originally, Dominic moved to Hong Kong in 2012 where he joined a global recruitment firm, before relocating to Singapore in 2017 where he has gone on to build an established network of both clients and governance professionals. Hired in 2023 to launch the Ashford Benjamin Singapore office, Dominic will continue the development of the brand as the leading Corporate Governance search firm in Asia.
Dominic can be reached at dthurmott@ashford-benjamin.com or on +65 6277 8530 (Singapore).
Sup Iyer
Associate Director
He has successfully headhunted and placed lawyers at all levels to top-tier international law firms, financial institutions and MNCs across the APAC Region. Prior to joining Ashford Benjamin, he was a consultant at a boutique legal search firm in Hong Kong, where he was part of the team that was awarded the Best Legal Recruitment Team in Hong Kong by the Recruitment International Awards in 2015 and 2016.
Sup grew up in Hong Kong and attended Ryerson University in Canada. Since returning to Hong Kong he has gained significant knowledge and understanding of the Asian legal market, allowing him to provide excellent service and consultation to both clients and candidates.
Sup can be reached at either sup.iyer@ashford-benjamin.com or on +852 2315 9511.
Louis feighan
Senior Consultant
He specialises in placing lawyers In-House and in Private Practice with a focus on Structured Products and Derivatives. Recent placements have also included Litigation, Debt Capital Markets and transactional M&A lawyers with top international law firms, global investment banks and fintech firms.
Louis has built up a strong network of candidates across the APAC region and regularly works with candidates overseas who are looking to return to Asia.
Louis can be reached at lfeighan@ashford-benjamin.com or on +852 2315 9505.
Adrian Li
Consultant
Before starting as a Legal Recruiter he held account management positions and has worked with an NGO to further animal conservation.
He works on Private Practice search mandates for lawyers across a range of PQE levels and a variety of law firms, both international and local. he listens and works hard to find a role that suits a candidate’s requirements.
Adrian can be reached at either ali@ashford-benjamin.com or on +852 2315 9506.
Clara Lim
Consultant
Clara was born and raised in Singapore but spent time in the UK as part of her education. After returning to Asia, she started her career in Marketing before transitioning into Executive Search with another global recruitment business.
Clara joined Ashford Benjamin in 2024 as the second hire as part of the exciting build of the AB Singapore office. She is a specialist recruiter who has an excellent track record of placing governance professionals for global organisations, and as part of the AB Singapore practice, Clara recruits mid-senior Risk Management, Internal Audit and Compliance professionals for leading banks and financial institutions.
Clara can be reached at either clim@ashford-benjamin.com or on +65 6277 8530.
Celine He
Associate
Celine grew up and studied in China, the United States, Australia, and most recently Hong Kong SAR. She has been a resident of Hong Kong since she completed her Masters program in 2018.
Celine started her recruitment career at Ashford Benjamin, placing mid-level lawyers and corporate governance professionals into top tier law firms and financial institutions.
Celine focuses on search mandates for lawyers at all experience levels from multiple practice areas and jurisdictions. She provides a personalised and catered approach for all her candidates and clients based on their present and long-term needs and aspirations.
Celine can be reached at che@ashford-benjamin.com or on +852 2315 9509.
Doris Dong
Associate
Doris Dong is a compliance specialist recruiter. Originally from Mainland China, Doris studied at the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong. After graduating, she began her career in the recruitment industry.
Prior to joining Ashford Benjamin, Doris worked at an international legal and compliance search firm. She has a proven track record of successfully placing high-calibre legal and compliance candidates at financial services organisations across North Asia.
As an Associate at Ashford Benjamin, Doris is responsible for finding top-tier talent for key, mid to senior-level compliance roles at prestigious financial institutions. Doris excels at identifying and securing candidates with the necessary expertise for these critical positions.
Doris can be reached at ddong@ashford-benjamin.com or on +852 2315 9519.
