Editor’s note: This is an ongoing list.
June
21 Jun – Bae Kim & Lee (Seoul, Korea)
Korean law firm Bae Kim & Lee has hired senior U.S. attorney David Pyun from local rival Kim & Chang, strengthening its real estate practice, particularly in cross-border investment and development deals.
Pyun joins BKL after more than seven years at Kim & Chang. He started his career at Mayer Brown and was previously a partner at Yulchon.
With experience in real estate, corporate finance and cross-border investments, Pyun represents international private equity firms and financial investors in structuring, acquisitions, financing and operations for real estate properties, development projects and investment platforms in South Korea. (from
http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)21 Jun – Addleshaw Goddard (Singapore, Singapore)
UK law firm Addleshaw Goddard has hired energy specialist Chanaka Kumarasinghe as head of its Singapore office from HFW, where he had spent the entirety of his 22-year career.
Kumarasinghe, who joins Addleshaw Goddard’s construction and engineering team as a partner, has experience advising on energy projects, construction contracts and oil and gas sector disputes across regions including Latin America, North Sea, Asia and Australia.
He has worked on negotiating agreements between contractors, oil majors and national oil companies for offshore oil and gas field assets like rigs and floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels. (from
http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)20 Jun – Trowers & Hamlins (Singapore, Singapore)
UK law firm Trowers & Hamlins has welcomed back Cassandra Lim, a former senior associate at its Kuala Lumpur office, as a corporate partner in Singapore.
Trowers recently opened its Singapore office, the firm’s second in Southeast Asia.
Lim rejoins Trowers after a stint as a transaction risk and M&A underwriter at Tokio Marine HCC, where she focused on underwriting warranty and indemnity insurance for deals in the APAC region.
She previously worked for Trowers from 2016 to 2022 in its Kuala Lumpur office, after it became the first foreign law practice to receive a qualified foreign law firm license in Malaysia. (from
http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
19 Jun – Morrison & Foerster (Tokyo, Japan)
Morrison & Foerster is set to boost its private equity and M&A practices in Asia with the hire of veteran corporate lawyer Gregory Salathé as a partner in Tokyo. Salathé will join the firm in September from investment manager PAG, where he is currently a partner and group general counsel.
With over 30 years of experience working on cross-border deals, Salathé’s practice spans private equity fund formations, acquisitions, buyouts, and real estate and infrastructure investments across Asia. He has also advised corporate clients on transactions in sectors like financial services, hospitality and life sciences.
Salathé joined PAG in 2022 from Jones Day. He was previously a partner at Sidley Austin and a managing partner of Morgan Lewis & Bockius’ Tokyo office. Salathe started his career in New York and has also worked in Hong Kong and Singapore. (from
http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
19 Jun – Herbert Smith Freehills (Tokyo, Japan)
Global law firm Herbert Smith Freehills has welcomed back Ben Jolley as its head of construction disputes in Tokyo from an in-house role at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI).
At MHI, Jolley was director of the international counsel team. He joined the company in 2021 from HSF, where he had spent the entirety of his 13-year career till date, leaving as a senior associate.
In his new role at the firm, Jolley will focus on construction, infrastructure, and energy disputes. Having worked with Japanese clients over the past 12 years, he has experience in arbitration cases across Asia, Europe, Africa and North America under various institutional rules. (from
http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
13 Jun – Tokyo International Law Office (Tokyo, Japan)
Japan’s Tokyo International Law Office has bolstered its team with the addition of two senior hires: Disputes lawyer Victor Sai from Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch in San Diego, and in-house counsel Yuri Aihara from Fujifilm.
Sai specialises in dispute resolution, including IP litigation in U.S. District Courts and the United States International Trade Commission.
With over 12 years at Procopio, he has a track record of handling complex IP cases and international arbitration for Japanese corporations.
Meanwhile Aihara brings a decade of experience from her role as in-house counsel at Fujifilm, where she managed a variety of legal issues ranging from domestic and international commercial transactions to healthcare regulations and intra-group reorganizations.
Aihara previously spent nearly four years at City-Yuwa Partners.
The new appointments are part of Tokyo International’s recent expansion as it responds to the needs of Japanese companies navigating global markets amid domestic economic challenges and demographic shifts. (from
http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
13 Jun – Ashurst (Perth, Australia)
Ashurst is expanding its Perth office with the hire of an insolvency and restructuring partner and a disputes and investigations partner.
Richard Johnson joins the firm’s restructuring and special situations group from Australian firm HWL Ebsworth and Kirsten Scott joins the employment team as an investigations partner from Australian firm Johnson Winter Slattery. (from
http://www.law.com)
12 Jun – Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co (Bengaluru, India)
Indian law firm Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co (SAM) has announced its second hire in a matter of days after adding projects and infrastructure specialist Anjana Jamalamadaka Potti as a partner in Bengaluru from JSA.
Potti’s hiring comes shortly after SAM added corporate lawyer Nikita Goyal as a partner in its Gurgaon office from IndusLaw.
With almost two decades of experience, Potti specialises in infrastructure finance, financial products and structuring financial transactions. She has advised Indian and multinational banks, funds and financial institutions on funding, debt restructuring, investments into distressed infrastructure assets and acquisitions across various sectors. (from
http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
May
21 May – Isshiki & Partners (Tokyo, Japan)
Japanese boutique firm Isshiki & Partners has strengthened its intellectual property litigation capabilities with the addition of two new partners: Yukio Nagasawa (L), a former IP judge, and Akira Irie, a litigator from Morrison & Foerster.
Nagasawa served as an IP judge for 20 years. During his judicial career, he oversaw more than 2,000 IP cases at various levels of the Japanese court system, including the Tokyo District Court, the Tokyo High Court, and the Supreme Court of Japan. His expertise covers patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets.
Irie, formerly a partner at Morrison & Foerster, has over 15 years of experience in IP litigation. He specialises in advising on IP disputes, contentious patent license negotiations, and commercial disagreements, particularly in sectors like chemicals, digital image processing, semiconductors, mobile telecommunications, and pharmaceuticals. Before joining Morrison & Foerster in 2011, Irie worked at another U.S. law firm, Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner. (from http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
21 May – Campbell Johnston Clark (Singapore, Singapore)
UK-headquartered shipping-focused law firm Campbell Johnston Clark (CJC) has hired transaction lawyer Aik Hui Chua as a director in Singapore from Squire Patton Boggs, where she was a senior associate.
Chua advises financial institutions, sponsors, owners, and lessors on financing assets in maritime and offshore oil and gas sectors, including dual-fuel vessels, VLECs, dynamic positioning shuttle tankers, FPSOs and LNG carriers.
She has advised on secured, unsecured, ECA-backed, and sustainability-linked financings, pre-delivery financings, re-financings, sales and leasebacks, and JOLCOs. Prior to her time at Squire Patton Boggs, Chua served as in-house legal counsel in a maritime and port regulatory authority. (from http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
20 May – Holman Fenwick Willan (Hong Kong, China)
Holman Fenwick Willan has taken a team of construction practice lawyers from Australian firm MinterEllison in Hong Kong.
A team of five associates, led two disputes partners Steven Yip and Malcolm Chin, have joined the UK firm. (from http://www.law.com)
20 May – Christopher & Lee Ong (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
Malaysian law firm Christopher & Lee Ong, a member firm of Rajah & Tann Asia, has bolstered its recently rebranded IP & Intangible Assets practice with the hire of partners Celia Cheah Chiew Lan (L) and Sri Richgopinath from LAW Partnership and Joel & Mei, respectively.
Previously known as the IP practice, CLO’s IP & Intangible Assets practice will cover areas like digital assets, online content, big data, cybersecurity, and AI, coupled with a new specialist disputes practice focusing solely on IP, data privacy, TMT, and fintech.
Cheah, who will head the practice, specialises in IP prosecution and commercial matters, focusing on registration and transactional work such as licensing. She joined LAW Partnership in 2019 after having been a partner at firms such as Shearn Delamore & Co, Tay & Partners, Zaid Ibrahim & Co, and KDJLaw.
Meanwhile, Richgopinath was a partner at the IP-focused Joel & Mei for around seven years. Prior to that, he spent more than six years at Skrine, specialising in IP litigation/dispute resolution, corporate, prosecution and enforcement. (from http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
17 May – Shin & Kim (Seoul, Korea)
South Korean Big Six firm Shin & Kim has continued the strategic expansion of its international arbitration roster with the addition of Robert Wachter and Sean (Sung-woo) Lim as partners. Wachter and Lim move from Lee & Ko, where they co-led the same practice group.
Shin & Kim’s investment in its international arbitration practice is following an increase in the “number of cross-border legal disputes in various sectors, such as cross-border M&A, finance, construction, oil and gas, and energy due to globally high interest rates and geopolitical risks,” the firm said in a statement. (from http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
16 May – Trowers & Hamlins (Singapore, Singapore)
London-based Trowers & Hamlins, known best for its global Islamic finance practice, has made its first lateral partner hire for its new Singapore office.
Ignatius Hawng has joined the firm as a partner and will lead the firm’s Asian energy and infrastructure practice. (from http://www.law.com)
15 May – Bird & Bird (Tokyo, Japan)
Bird & Bird is set to launch an office in Tokyo with the hire of a corporate partner from Ashurst.
Hiroyuki Iwamura joins after years at Ashurst, where he headed the firm’s UK/European Japanese group. His practice focused on advising Japanese companies entering the UK and EU. He has also previously worked at herbert Smith Freehills and Pillshury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, according to his LinkedIn profile. (from http://www.law.com)
15 May – J.Sagar Associates (Bengaluru, India)
Indian law firm J. Sagar Associates has continued its aggressive expansion with the addition of real estate partner Brijita Prakash (L) and corporate partner Santosh Vijay in Bengaluru, making it six partner hires in just over a month for the firm.
Prakash joins from DSK Legal along with a team of seven fee-earners. She has represented top developers and builders in Karnataka, including Prestige Estates, Brigade Enterprises, and Godrej Properties, and advises on matters related to title, urban development, and regulatory compliance within the real estate sector.
She also specialises in Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act (RERA) related licensing, compliance, and disputes.
Meanwhile Vijay joins from Krishnamurthy & Co (K Law), in the same week a Mumbai-based disputes quartet from K Law moved to JSA.
Vijay, who was a counsel at K Law, specialises in private equity and venture capital deals, particularly in the start-up space. He recently advised Bengaluru-based pharma company Strides Pharma Sciences the $15 million sale of its Singapore manufacturing facility. (from http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
14 May – Baker McKenzie KLP JV (Seoul, Korea)
Baker McKenzie is pleased to announce that leading international arbitration practitioner Sunyoung Kim will be joining Baker McKenzie & KL Partners Joint Venture Law Firm (“Baker McKenzie KLP JV”) as a partner effective 20 May 2024. This latest hire further bolsters the Baker McKenzie KLP JV’s bench strength and boosts Baker McKenzie’s dispute resolution and international arbitration capabilities, a strategic area of focus for the Firm globally.
Sunyoung, who is dual qualified in Korea and the US, is returning to Baker McKenzie after being an associate in the Firm’s Hong Kong office during 2009 – 2012. Her practice focuses on representing clients in international arbitration cases brought before the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC), and the Korean Commercial Arbitration Board (KCAB), as well as in ad-hoc arbitrations. (from http://www.bakermckenzie.com)
14 May – Nishimura & Asahi (Tokyo, Japan)
Big Four Japanese firm Nishimura &Asahi has added a new partner from the Tokyo office of Hunton Andrews Kurth.
Sean Conaty will initially be based in Nishimura’s Tokyo office but will eventually relocate to Vietnam, where the Japanese firm operates offices in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. (from http://www.law.com)
14 May – Hastings & Co (Hong Kong, China)
Disputes lawyer Milly Yuk Kwan Hung has joined Hong Kong law firm Hastings & Co. as a partner and head of its employment practice. She was most recently at Stevenson, Wong & Co, where she held a similar role.
With more than 20 years of experience, Hung advises clients, including Hong Kong, PRC and multinational companies, on employment and commercial fraud, aviation and transport, insurance and personal injuries.
Hung also handles contentious and non-contentious employment matters with various quasi-governmental bodies and financial institutions in Hong Kong, utilising her previous experience working in the government. (from http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
14 May – Spencer West (Sydney, Australia)
UK-headquartered firm Spencer West has expanded to Australia, appointing media lawyer Andrew Ailwood to run its new Sydney office.
Spencer West said its presence in Australia “confirms its commitment to providing comprehensive legal support on a global scale. (from http://www.law.com)
13 May – Yoon & Yang (Seoul, Korea)
With more than 25 years of experience, Lee is a former presiding judge at the Seoul High Court. His experience includes criminal, civil, and administrative litigation at the Seoul Central District Court (criminal panel division), the Seoul Western District Court (warrants), and the Seoul High Court (labour division).
Hwang served at the Supreme Court as a judicial researcher and a presiding judge. During his time in the judiciary, he handled cases for major Korean conglomerates as a judicial researcher at the Korean Supreme Court’s commercial division. Earlier in his career, he also served at the Seoul Central District Court and the Seoul Rehabilitation Court, where he handled commercial law issues, including management rights disputes, finance, insurance, and rehabilitation.
A former judicial researcher at the Supreme Court (tax and civil division) and a former presiding judge, You’s arrival is expected to further bolster Yoon & Yang’s tax controversy offerings. You is understood to be the only Korean judge to have participated in the long-term research programme at the Max Planck Institute for Tax Law and Public Finance in Germany. In 2018, You was recognised as an outstanding judge by the Seoul District Bar Association. (from http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
13 May – J.Sagar Associates (Mumbai, India)
Indian law firm J. Sagar Associates has bolstered its Mumbai-based disputes practice with the addition of a four-lawyer team from Krishnamurthy & Co (K Law), led by partner Ayush Agarwala.
Agarwala, who joins as a salaried partner, is the firm’s fourth partner hire in a month. Former Trilegal counsel Anurag Shrivastav joined earlier this month, while disputes pro Harshavardhan Abburi joined in Hyderabad, and Rakesh Warrier left his in-house role at Zetwerk to join the firm in Bengaluru.
Agarwala’s team comprises Suvaaankoor Das, who has joined as principal associate, and associates Sanjana Pandey, Rishab Aggarwal, and Mayank Sharma.
Agarwala has close to 15 years’ experience advising on cross-border disputes and insolvency matters. His team will develop the firm’s infrastructure and energy practice in Mumbai, working closely with joint managing partner Amit Kapur. (from http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
10 May – Sparke Helmore (Sydney, Australia)
Sparke Helmore alumna Janette McLennan has rejoined the firm as a specialty lines partner, bringing with her a four-strong team.
The group hails from Clyde & Co and will operate from Sparke Helmore’s Sydney office.
Commercial litigator McLennan focuses on complex multi-party D&O claims, class actions, regulatory matters, and commercial insurance/reinsurance. She has represented corporations and officers defending in class actions, particularly those related to securities claims. (from http://www.thelawyermag.com)
9 May – Ashurst (Papua New Guinea)
Ashurst has hired a projects and corporate partner for its Papua New Guinea office, following the defection of another of its PNG partners to Dentons.
Tureia Sample, who grew up in PNG, joins Ashurst from PwC in Syndey and will tranistion to office managing partner later this year. She specializes in project development advice, particularly in the energy, social infrastructure, transport and technology sectors, as well as other governance, corproate and commercial matters. (from http://www.law.com)
8 May – Yulchon (Seoul, Korea)
South Korea’s Big Six firm Yulchon has hired a partner for its intellectual property and technology practice in Seoul.
Chunghwan Choi advises on complex digital media content licensing arrangements, as well as on investments into film, television and music industries. He has previously acted for well-known media brands including Netflix, Apple TV, Walt Disney, Warner Bros, as well as major music companies including EMI, Warner Music, and Sony Music. (from http://www.law.com)
8 May – ADCO Law (Jakarta, Indonesia)
Indonesian law firm ADCO Law has hired intellectual property expert Adolf M. Panggabean as the head of its newly launched IP practice in Jakarta. Panggabean’s most recent role was as legal counsel at PT Fortuna Investasi Utama, which he held until May last year.
Prior to his in-house roles at PT Mitra Adiperkasa and PT Fortuna Investasi Utama, Panggabean worked for two decades at law firms. The roles he held included head of IP at Hiswara Bunjamin & Tandjung, Herbert Smith Freehills’ association firm, and principal at Spruson & Ferguson Indonesia. He also worked at HHP Law Firm and Amroos & Partners.
Panggabean specialises in intellectual property registration in Indonesia, including protection of patents, trademarks, copyrights, and industrial designs. He also represents clients in intellectual property disputes, both in civil and criminal proceedings. (from http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
7 May – Loeb & Loeb (Hong Kong, China)
Shirley Lau, who founded the Hong Kong affiliate law firm of CMS, is joining Loeb & Loeb’s capital markets and corporate practices. Loeb & Loeb has added two new partners to it Hong Kong bench. Shirley Lau and Polly Liu are joining the firm’s capital markets and corporate. (from http://www.law.com)
7 May – Han Kun Law Offices (Hong Kong, China)
PRC law firm Han Kun Law Offices has added debt capital markets expert Allen (Yilun) Zhang as a partner in Hong Kong from A&O Shearman, where he was a senior associate.
Over his decade-long career, Zhang has advised issuer and underwriter clients on more than 200 different types of debt securities transactions.
Notable transactions have included advising on a first Yulan bond, the first MCSD-cleared bond, the first Blue bond in Asia, the first sustainability-linked loan relinked bond, the first bond transaction to be cleared through both CMU and Euroclear, the first TONA-linked pound sterling-denominated floating rate note issued by a non-sovereign issuer, and the first offshore bond issued by a PRC local government.
Additionally, Zhang has advised the Ministry of Finance of the People’s Republic of China in all its overseas bond offerings for six consecutive years, as well as the People’s Bank of China on the first establishment of a central bank bill offering programme in Hong Kong and the issuance of central bank bills.
Zhang joined A&O Shearman (then Allen & Overy) in 2023, prior to which he worked at Linklaters and King & Wood Mallesons. (from http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
7 May – Sparke Helmore (Sydney, Australia)
Australian firm Sparke Helmore has tapped Norton Rose Fulbright for a construction partner to join its Sydney office. Alice Chen, who joins Spark Helmore’s projects and government commercial team, specializes in construction contracts and procurement with a government-focused client base. (from http://www.law.com)
3 May – Johnson Winter Slattery (Sydney, Australia)
Sophie Dawson (pictured) has joined JWS and has come across from Bird & Bird, where she spent over six years as a partner. Prior to this, she was a partner at Ashurst.
Dawson specialises, the firm said in a statement, in IT, telecommunications and media disputes and “has deep experience” acting for major IT and telecommunications companies and large corporate and government clients. Moreover, she has acted for high-profile media and IT and telecommunication companies in 3G telephony patent litigation and in copyright litigation, the firm detailed. (from http://www.lawyersweekly.com.au)
3 May – Ogier (Hong Kong, China)
Offshore law firm Ogier has hired restructuring and insolvency expert Joanne Collett as a partner in Hong Kong from rival Walkers.
Collett, who advises clients in both contentious and non-contentious matters, represents debtors, secured and unsecured creditors, shareholders, investors, directors, fund managers and insolvency practitioners on matters of the Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands law with respect to issues arising in relation to offshore entities and structures.
During her career, Collett has assisted offshore companies experiencing financial distress and their stakeholders regarding protective steps, enforcement of rights and remedies, taking and enforcing security, enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitral awards, interim relief in support of foreign proceedings, and fund-related questions. (from http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
3 May – Dentons (Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea)
Jason Brooks will be based in the capital Port Moresby. He is an experienced commercial litigation lawyer who acts on judicial reviews, tax litigation, customs litigation, employment law issues, as well as regulatory matters. (from http://www.law.com)
1 May – White & Case (Tokyo, Japan)
White & Case has hired a funds partner from Linklaters in Tokyo. Eriko Sakata, who has worked at Linklaters for over two decades.
Eriko Sakata, who has worked at Linklaters for over 2 decades, advises global asset managers and blue-chip corporations on the establishment and maintenance of investment funds and co-investment vehicles. She also specialises in real estate and structured finance deals and is experienced in advising on contentious regulatory matters. (from http://www.law.com)
April
22 Apr – Latham & Watkins (Tokyo, Japan)
Latham & Watkins1 is pleased to announce that Yohei Nakagawa has joined the firm’s Tokyo office as a partner in the M&A and Private Equity Practice. Highly regarded in his field, Nakagawa’s practice focuses on advising Japanese and international companies, investors, and financial institutions on a variety of domestic and cross-border M&A, strategic investments, divestments, and joint ventures.
Nakagawa regularly advises on both outbound and inbound transactions across a range of key growth sectors, with a particular focus on the technology, life sciences, media, and entertainment industries. Bilingual in Japanese and English, he brings unique multicultural perspectives to complex cross-border transactions.
Nakagawa joins Latham from Morrison & Foerster. He received his JD from UCLA School of Law and his BS from New York University. He is a member of the New York Bar and a registered foreign lawyer in Japan. (from
http://www.lw.com)
22 Apr – Norton Rose Fulbright (Singapore, Singapore)
Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright has expanded its banking and finance team in Singapore with the appointment of a new partner.
Norton Rose Fulbright has appointed Beelee Seah as a partner in its banking and finance team in Singapore, according to a statement.
Seah joins from Baker McKenzie with more than a decade of experience in Singapore in structuring and executing cross-border financings, with a particular focus on fund finance and the Vietnam market. (from
http://www.finews.asia)
19 Apr – AZB & Partners (Mumbai, India)
Tax lawyer Shruti KP has left the partnership at IndusLaw to join AZB & Partners in Mumbai.
Over her 15-year career, Shruti has advised clients in sectors such as technology, manufacturing, fast-moving consumer goods, media and telecom, financial services, oil and gas, private equity and pharmaceuticals on M&A taxation, international taxation, and corporate taxation.
Her addition comes just a few weeks after AZB added employment expert Vikram Shroff in Mumbai, and disputes partner Mrinal Shankar in Bengaluru. (from
http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
19 Apr – Khaitan & Co (Ahmedabad, India)
Khaitan & Co, India’s largest law firm by headcount, has welcomed aboard disputes expert Digant Popat as a partner in its recently launched Ahmedabad office.
Khaitan established its office in Ahmedabad, the most populous city in India’s western state of Gujarat, last December. The office has two partners now, the other being Atman Desai.
Popat advises on matters related commercial, civil and criminal laws, including electricity and land laws, contracts, tenders, public trust, education, projects and infrastructure, and recovery proceedings before the High Court of Gujarat. (from
http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
19 Apr – Allen & Overy (Sydney, Australia)
Allen & Overy has hired two technology, telecommunications and intellectual property partners from an Australian firm to strengthen its Asia Pacific technology transactions practice.
Ravi de Fonseka and Daniel Thompson join the firm’s Sydney office and the firm’s global technology team from local Australian practice from Johnson Winter & Slattery (JWS). (from
http://www.law.com)
18 Apr – J Sagar Associates (Bengaluru, India)
Ghandy & Co have launched Bengaluru outposts in recent times, while AZB & Partners, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas and Khaitan & Co have expanded their presence in the city.
Warrier, who joins partner Tony Verghese’s Bengaluru-based corporate vertical, has previously spent nine years at JSA, including two as partner, before moving to his in-house role at Zetwerk.
He specialises in regulatory advisory in the telecom, IT/ITES, life sciences and e-commerce sectors. He also has experience advising on private equity and venture capital deals. (from
http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
18 Apr – Kennedys (Singapore, Singapore)
UK law firm Kennedys has hired insurance industry veteran Mark Errington as a partner in Singapore from RPC. Errington is set to join in July.
The announcement comes shortly after Australian law firm Wotton + Kearney announced it would launch in Singapore after hiring two insurance partners from Kennedys – Ben Nicholson and Tom Morrison.
An insurance and reinsurance dispute resolution specialist with a focus on property, construction and engineering, power and energy, terrorism and political violence, and associated business interruption/DSU claims, Errington advises clients in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East region.
He also has arbitration experience and acts on subrogated recovery actions globally, mainly arising out of power generation and commercial property losses.
Errington, who has been based in Singapore for 25 years, counts Stephenson Harwood, HFW, Clyde & Co and the legacy Barlow Lyde & Gilbert among his previous employers. In 2012, he joined RPC to help set up that firm’s Singapore office. (from
http://www.law.com)
18 Apr – Kennedys Law (Melbourne, Australia)
Specialist insurance firm Kennedys Law has hired a team of three insurance partners from Clyde & Co in Australia, as partner departures from the UK-headquartered firm continue.
Nicole Wearne, Ganga Narayanan and Mark Attard are to join Kennedys, a source with knowledge of the hires said. (from
http://www.law.com)
18 Apr – Focus Law Asia (Singapore, Singapore)
Singapore-based boutique firm Focus Law Asia has bolstered its matrimonial law capabilities with the addition of June Lim as a director. Lim joins FLA after a decade of running her own matrimonial firm, Eden Law Corporation.
Lim advises high-net-worth individuals on pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements, divorces, separations, custody, guardianship, spousal and child maintenance, maintenance enforcement and domestic violence matters. June also has expertise in cross-border divorces, including international child abduction and relocation matters. (from
http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
17 Apr – K&L Gates (Sydney, Australia)
K&L Gates has lured former Johnson Winter Slattery private equity and M&A partner Divesh Patel to its partnership.
Patel joins the firm’s corporate team, working from the Sydney office. Qualified to practise in both Australia and South Africa, he has advised private equity sponsors and tackled matters across the transport and logistics, manufacturing, retail, consumer goods, financial services, infrastructure, aviation, media, technology, and telecommunications sectors.
He has also provided guidance on joint ventures, complex commercial transactions, distressed asset sales and restructurings. His expertise is expected to enhance K&L Gates’ capabilities in global corporate and foreign investment issues. (from
http://www.thelawyermag.com)
16 Apr – Rimon (Singapore, Singapore)
San Francisco-headquartered law firm Rimon, which operates using a decentralised, distributed model, has brought on board Troy Doyle as partner and chair of its global restructuring group.
Doyle, who is based in Singapore, joins from Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, where he was co-head of the firm’s business restructuring and reorganisation practice.
With over two decades of restructuring experience in Asia, Doyle has worked across Asian markets, including Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Greater China, Vietnam, and Australia, restructuring debt and equity of over $62.9 billion in his career, Rimon said in a statement. He also previously led the practice groups at Reed Smith and DLA Piper.
15 Apr – Deloitte (Sydney, Australia)
Deloitte is expanding its Australian legal team with intellectual property lawyer Melinda Upton, who has joined the partnership of the professional services firm.
The hire is part of Deloitte’s global strategy to enhance the firm’s ability to provide “integrated, multidisciplinary solutions to clients,” Deloitte said in a statement. (from
http://www.law.com)
12 Apr – Herbert Smith Freehills (Hong Kong, China)
Herbert Smith Freehills this week announced the appointment of new co-heads of its global arbitration practice, succeeding Paula Hodges KC, who is retiring after 37 years with the firm.
Simon Chapman KC and Andrew Cannon will now co-lead the practice.
The London-based Cannon already holds an array of leadership roles including co-head of public international law, head of India disputes and co-head of the Nordic group, while Chapman, who is based in Hong Kong, is currently regional head of dispute resolution for Asia. (from
http://www.legalbusiness.co.uk)
10 Apr – Wotton+Kearney (Singapore, Singapore)
The move reflects the importance of Singapore as a regional hub for the London and European insurance and reinsurance markets and gives Wotton + Kearney a platform to service the Infrastructure, Power Gen and Renewable Energy growth across the region when the Singapore office opens in June.
David Kearney, Chief Executive Partner, Wotton + Kearney said Singapore would become Wotton + Kearney’s 10th office across the Asia Pacific region and its first in mainland Asia.
Wotton + Kearney’s new Singapore practice will be led by Ben Nicholson, who will join the firm from Kennedys Singapore, together with partner Tom Morrison. Mr Nicholson is a leading insurance and reinsurance lawyer who specialises in property, energy, engineering and infrastructure risks. He has extensive experience in the Asia Pacific region and also advises on disputes in the UK, the Middle East and North Africa. (from
http://www.wottonkearney.com.au)
9 Apr – Campbells (Hong Kong, China)
Caymans-headquartered law firm Campbells has hired banking and finance expert Paul Trewartha as a partner in Hong Kong from rival offshore firm Mourant.
Trewartha advises on debt finance, structured finance, and debt capital market transactions, including take-private financings, private capital investment, margin loans, structured product issuances, OTC derivatives, acquisition and leveraged finance, asset finance, fund finance and general corporate lending and bond issuances.
Trewartha spent nearly a decade at Mourant, joining the firm after a two-year in-house stint at Morgan Stanley. He began his career at the Australian law firm Clayton Utz. (from
http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
8 Apr – Yang & Yang Solicitors (Hong Kong, China)
Yang & Yang Solicitors, PRC law firm East & Concord Partners’ Hong Kong association firm, has added M&A expert Dennis Yeung as a partner from the Beijing office of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, which closed recently.
At the end of last year, Akin Gump announced the closure of its four-lawyer Beijing office. Office managing partner Allen Shyu moved to the firm’s Hong Kong office, while partner Jingli Jiang relocated to Washington, DC.
Yeung has more than 20 years of experience, focusing on M&A, securities and public listings, private equity, regulatory compliance, and corporate & commercial matters. (from
http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
8 Apr – Watson Farley & Williams (Singapore, Singapore)
Watson Farley & Williams has hired another partner from McDermott Will & Emery, which now appears to have hardly any lawyers listed in its Singapore office.
Energy and project specialists Clarinda Tjia-Dharmadi has joined Watson Farley as a partner. The move comes shortly after the firm added another former McDermott partner Merrick White. (from
http://www.law.com)
8 Apr – Luo Ling Ling (Singapore, Singapore)
Singapore-based disputes boutique Luo Ling Ling has added a fifth attorney to its team, with family and matrimonial disputes specialist Aileen Oh joining as director.
Oh was most recently group legal counsel at health and wellness company USP Group, which she left in May 2023, according to her LinkedIn profile. She also worked at Fortis Law Corporation and Hoh Law Corporation earlier in her career.
Luo Ling Ling, named for its founder and managing director, was launched by Luo in 2020 after quitting her partnership at RHTLaw Taylor Wessing, where she focused on corporate crimes. (from
http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
5 Apr – Shin & Kim (Seoul, Korea)
South Korean Big Six firm Shin & Kim has bolstered its international arbitration bench with the addition of Brandon (Hyung-Sik) Bang, who previously co-headed the practice at Bae, Kim & Lee.
He becomes Shin & Kim’s fourth partner hire this year, following the addition of former judges Dong-kyu Kim and Hun-tae Doh in February and of former chairman of the Personal Information Protection Commission Jong-In Yoon to launch an artificial intelligence practice in January.
Bang joins Shin & Kim as a senior foreign attorney. He is an international arbitration practitioner who specialises in the construction, M&A, IP and licensing, and reinsurance sectors.
Prior to joining Bae, Kim & Lee as senior foreign attorney in 2020, Bang was an associate at Shearman & Sterling’s Singapore office and at New Zealand-based law firm Chapman Tripp. (from
http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
4 Apr – Norton Rose Fulbright (Melbourne, Australia)
Norton Rose Fulbright has hired technology partner Lisa Fitzgerald to join its Melbourne office and help the firm advise on AI, cyber risks and digital transformation.
Fitzgerald, who joins from Australian firm Lander & Rogers, is qualified in Australia and the UK and has spent two decides advising private and public sector clients, working from London, Sydney and Melbourne. (from
http://www.law.com)
4 Apr – Yulchon (Seoul, Korea)
South Korean Big Six firm Yulchon has continued its recent expansion by poaching four seasoned M&A partners from Yoon & Yang. The quartet includes Sung-Jin Kim, the former head of the M&A practice at Yoon & Yang, along with Kayoung Kim, Hyerim Kang, and Junghwan Lee.
Sung-Jin Kim has expertise advising clients on transactions and private equity deals in the information technology, manufacturing, finance and healthcare sectors.He has advised IMM Private Equity on its acquisition of Hanssem, Korean Air on its acquisition of Asiana Airlines, SK Ecoplant on its acquisition of Saehan Environment and Daewon Green Energy, Premier Private Equity on its acquisition of Mega Coffee, and on the establishment of the JV between SK E&S and Plug Power, among others.
Kayoung Kim is also a private equity-focused transactional lawyer. Her recent deals include SKS Private Equity’s acquisition of Bloom Energy Corporation’s shares, and SK Ecoplant’s acquisition of Daewon Green Energy and Saehan Environment.
Lee specializes in M&A and corporate advisory in the financial, platform, manufacturing, and energy industries. He has advised on the Celltrion-Celltrion healthcare merger, Premier PEF and Naver Webtoon on the acquisition of Munpia, SKS PE/Mirae Asset Venture Investment on the investment in Wavve, and Hyundai Materials on the acquisition of Mando New Materials, among others. (from
http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
4 Apr – Dentons (Hong Kong, China)
Global law firm Dentons has expanded its debt finance and investment funds capabilities with the addition of Charles Yim as a partner in Hong Kong. Yim was previously a partner at local firm Gallant.
Yim focuses his practice on bond issuance, structured notes offering and liability management of corporate bonds for investment banks, securities firms, trustees or corporate issuers. He also has experience in Hong Kong and offshore fund formation for fund managers, asset management companies, and family offices.
Prior to joining the legal profession, Yim worked as a banker in Hong Kong, during which he was responsible for Asia-Pacific syndicated loan transactions and international debts capital market deals. (from
http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
3 Apr – Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas (Mumbai, India)
Top Indian law firm Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas has announced a second partner hire in two days, with the addition of real estate pro Siddharth Vedula to its general corporate practice in Mumbai.
Vedula is CAM’s third partner hire in 2024. The firm announced the addition of IP partner Revanta Mathur from Anand and Anand yesterday following the addition of KZ Kuriyan in Bengaluru. CAM also launched an Abu Dhabi office last month.
Vedula, who has been an independent consultant since mid-2023, previously served as general counsel of real estate giant Embassy Group for two years. Prior to that, he has also worked at the Embassy REIT and at Samunnati, an agriculture-focused NBFC.
Vedula works with private equity funds as well as Indian and international corporates on transactions mainly in the technology, healthcare, real estate, and financial services sectors. (from
http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
3 Apr – Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas (Delhi, India)
Indian law firm Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas has hired a second intellectual property partner from IP firm Anand and Anand in six months with the addition of Revanta Mathur in Delhi.
In September, CAM poached Swati Sharma from Anand and Anand to serve as its IP practice chair.
Mathur, a partner at Anand and Anand since 2013, specialises in brand strategies and transactional IP, particularly trademark and copyright advisory in India and other SAARC countries.
He is a trademark specialist with experience in the sports, alcohol, luxury and automotive sectors. He has advised companies on adoption and protection of their brands and also on the growth and sustainability of their trademarks. (from
http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
3 Apr – Georgiou Partnership (Hong Kong, China)
Phillip Georgiou, an international arbitration and litigation partner who co-founded the Hong kong law firm Georgiou Payne Stewien (GPS Legal), has launched his own new firm: Georgiou Partnership. (from
http://www.law.com)
3 Apr – K&L Gates (Brisbane, Australia)
K&L Gates is expaning in Australia with the hire of two corporate partners and their teams from an Australian firm.
Khilen Devani and Carl Hinze join K&L Gates’s Brisbane office from Holding Redlich where Devani was a partner and Hinze headed the firm’s China practice. They bring two other lawyers from Holding Redlich with them. (from
http://www.law.com)
3 Apr – Drew & Napier (Singapore, Singapore)
One of Singapore’s Big Four law firms, Drew & Napier LLC, celebrated the arrival of Abhinav Bhushan, who was made Director (Foreign Law), Dispute Resolution, at the end of March. An international arbitration specialist, Bhushan will be part of the team led by Mahesh Rai which specialises in complex international arbitration and litigation, assisting clients on cases in Southeast Asia, India, and beyond. (from
http://www.law.com)
2 Apr – Zul Rafique & Partners (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
Malaysian law firm Zul Rafique & Partners has bolstered its dispute resolution capabilities with the addition of disputes partner Nur Syafinaz Vani from rival Rosli Dahlan Saravana Partnership (RDS).
RDS had poached two Zul Rafique partners in the last six months, with corporate partner Falisa Abu Bakar jumping ship in March and disputes partner Farah Shuhadah Razali moving in August last year.
Syafinaz brings over a decade of experience advising clients on corporate debt recovery, commercial fraud and banking litigation. She also specialises in matters involving recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments. (from
http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
2 Apr – AZB & Partners (Bengaluru & Mumbai, India)
Indian law firm AZB & Partners has made its first partner hires of the year with Vikram Shroff, former head of the employment and labour practice at Nishith Desai Associates, joining in Mumbai, and disputes partner Mrinal Shankar joining from Poovayya & Co in Bengaluru.
Shroff leaves NDA after 25 years, having started his career at the firm in 1998. As head of NDA’s employment and labour practice, he advised clients on employment contracts, competition and solicitation, drafting service rules and company policies, compensation structuring, employee stock options, post-merger integration and employment related immigration laws.
He becomes the second senior NDA employment lawyer to leave for AZB in about a year. In April last year, Ajay Singh Solanki joined the latter firm.
Shankar is a dispute resolution specialist with over a decade of experience, particularly before the Karnataka High Court in Bengaluru. He made partner at Poovayya in 2022. (from
http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
1 Apr – Charles Russell Speechlys (Singapore, Singapore)
Butler Snow lawyers Kurt Rademacher and Ivan Lu and King & Spalding’s Peter Brabant are joining Charles Russell Speechly’s as partners in Singapore.
Charles Russel Speechlys, which launched an office in Singapore last year, has added three partners to its new outfit in the city-state. With the additions, the firm now counts five partners and four other lawyers in Singapore. (from
http://www.law.com)
