Editor’s note: This is an ongoing list.
December
18 December – Cooley (Shanghai,China)
Cooley has expanded its cross-border strategic investment advisory capabilities in Asia with the hire of corporate partner Ruomu Li from Morrison & Foerster for its Shanghai office.
Li has a legal career spanning more than 15 years specializing in cross-border mergers and acquisitions, private equity deals and venture capital investments, with a particular focus on global technology and life sciences markets. As a Shanghai-based corporate lawyer qualified in New York and California, she has been representing U.S., Chinese and international companies in strategic technology and life sciences deals ranging from public to private mergers to divestitures and spinoffs. (from http://www.law.com)
15 December – Mills Oakley (Adelaide, Australia)
Australian law firm Mills Oakley is to open an office in Adelaide after poaching a real estate partner from corporate law firm MinterEllison to lead the new office.
The firm already has several lawyers based in Adelaide and said the hire of Stephen Hill has provided the impetus for a permanent office which is expected to have 15 lawyers and staff at launch. (from http://www.law.com)
13 December – Ashurst (Sydney, Australia)
International law firm Ashurst has hired real estate partner Kitty Vo for its Sydney office as it seeks to expand its offering to developer and investor clients.
The hire is a return to Ashurst for Vo, who spent 14 years at the firm before joining Australian firm Hall & Wilcox as a partner in 2019. (from http://www.law.com)
13 December – Herbert Smith Freehills (Sydney, Australia)
Herbert Smith Freehills has become the latest firm to appoint a female leader in Australia, with the announcement that Sydney intellectual property partner Kristen Stammer will become executive partner Asia and Australia next year.
Stammer, who has been with the firm for 25 years, will succeed incumbent Andrew Pike on May 1 next year. (from http://www.law.com)
8 December – Khaitan & Co (Mumbai, India)
Khaitan & Co has hired corporate lawyer Anshuman Mozumdar as partner in Mumbai from Luthra and Luthra Law Offices India.
Mozumdar, who spent more than 11 years at Luthra, specialises in mergers and acquisitions, private equity, buyouts and platform deals across sectors such as retail, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and financial services. (from http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
8 December – Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas (Mumbai, India)
Indian law firm Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas has hired Rishiraj Prasad Bhatt as a partner in its real estate practice in Mumbai from Kanga & Co.
Bhatt advises companies, realty developers, investors and high net-worth individuals on real estate transactions including acquisitions, sales, assignments and leasing, and on regulatory compliance. He spent the entirety of his 17-year legal career at Kanga, becoming a partner there in 2013. (from http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
5 December – Allen & Overy (Sydney, Australia)
Allen & Overy has made another addition to its global leveraged and acquisition finance practice with the hire of a Sydney-based lawyer from Herbert Smith Freehills.
Marnie Fels, whose practice focuses on global and domestic private equity sponsors and large corporates as well as banks and financial institutions, is the latest addition to A&O’s leveraged finance team, and follows the hire of London-based partner partner Marwa Elborai from Shearman & Sterling last month. (from http://www.law.com)
5 December – DLA Piper (Hong Kong, China)
DLA Piper has boosted its finance and debt restructuring advisory capability in Asia by adding a third lawyer to its Asia finance, projects and restructuring team in Hong Kong in the past year.
Trinh Hoang joins the firm from Linklaters, where she was a Hong Kong-based managing associate in its banking team. Hoang will be joining her ex-Linklaters banking and finance colleague Crystal Chen, who joined DLA Piper from the U.K. firm in May this year. (from http://www.law.com)
5 December – Ashurst (Hong Kong, China)
London-headquartered Ashurst has hired restructuring and insolvency expert Lance Jiang as a partner in Hong Kong from Addleshaw Goddard, which recently closed its office in the Chinese city.
With this move, Jiang becomes the latest Addleshaws Hong Kong partner to find a new home, after litigator Janie Wong, who moved to Howse Williams, and disputes head Ronald Sum, who joined Baker McKenzie.
Jiang has more than 20 years of experience and advises on cross-border restructurings and insolvencies with a Chinese element. He joined Addleshaw Goddard in 2018 from an in-house role at Chinese distressed-debt manager Great Wall AMC International Holdings. (from http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
November
29 November – King & Spalding (Singapore, Singapore)
King & Spalding announced today that Richard Sharpe, an experienced trial lawyer and former barrister, has joined the firm as a partner in its Special Matters and Government Investigations practice. He is based in the firm’s Singapore office.
Sharpe assists multinational clients with a variety of criminal, civil fraud and transactions matters, including anti-bribery and corruption, anti-money laundering, international sanctions, cyber-crime, other cross-border investigations, and strategic transactions assessment. He also has significant experience in complex civil litigation and arbitrations arising from fraud and other misconduct and advises global companies on investment-related international risk and the design and implementation of compliance programs. (from http://www.kslaw.com)
23 November – Kennedys (Singapore, Singapore)
UK law firm Kennedys has bolstered its aviation offering in Asia by hiring Tristan Thompson as a partner in Singapore from DLA Piper, and naming Anita Quy as its new APAC practice head.
Thompson specialises in handling aviation and aerospace matters on behalf of operators and their insurers and reinsurers across jurisdictions. He joined DLA, where he was most recently a legal director, in 2019. Thompson began his career at Clyde & Co. (from http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
23 November – Zhong Lun Law Firm (Hong Kong, China)
The PRC’s Zhong Lun Law Firm has hired disputes expert Terence Luk as a partner in Hong Kong from local firm Fairbairn Catley Low & Kong, where he spent about 25 years.
Luk advises on a range of disputes, including shareholder disputes, commercial litigation, cross-border arbitration, receivership, liquidation, bankruptcy, divorce, custody, wardship, guardianship, mediation, Mental Health Ordinance-related applications, professional misconduct, defamation, shipping, contentious probate matters, commercial fraud, disciplinary proceedings, regulatory and criminal matters.
His clients include companies listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and NASDAQ, real estate developers, local and international banks and other financial institutions, multijurisdictional corporations, charitable organizations, NGOs, government officials, celebrities and affluent individuals. (from http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
23 Novmeber – Trilegal (Bengaluru, India)
Indian law firm Trilegal has hired labour and employment lawyer Veena Gopalakrishnan as a partner in Bengaluru from AZB & Partners.
With 14 years of experience in employment law advisory, Gopalakrishnan offers advice relating to workforce structuring, employee mobility and employee benefits. She has also worked with organisations and industry bodies to create awareness of workplace sexual harassment, LGBTQIA+ inclusion, and diversity and inclusion. (from http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
22 November – Withers (Hong Kong, China)
U.K.-based firm Withers has hired Dentons’ Hong Kong private funds lead, Simon Wong, as a partner.
Wong’s appointment comes just weeks after the firm brought on veteran corporate partner Kazumitsu Goto from Japanese firm TMI Associates in Tokyo. (from http://www.law.com)
21 November – Squire Patton Boggs (Sydney, Australia)
Squire Patton Boggs has appointed Graeme Slattery to lead its Sydney office, replacing Campbell Davidson, who has led the office since the firm launched in Australia a decade ago.
Davidson, a mergers and acquisitions lawyer, will remain with the firm, according to the firm. (from http://www.law.com)
20 November – Clyde & Co (Bangkok, Thailand)
Clyde & Co will soon be launching a new office in Bangkok, Thailand, having hired partner Ian Johnston and legal director Sorawat Wongkaweepairot from the shuttered Thai office of Kennedys.
The Thai office, which will open subject to regulatory approval, will focus on providing insurance advice to local and international insurers and reinsurers, and litigation and arbitration services, according to the firm’s statement. (from http://www.law.com)
16 November – Selvam (Singapore, Singapore)
Selvam, Duane Morris’ Singapore joint law venture firm, has added Jerald Foo as a director in its litigation and dispute resolution group from local firm Oon & Bazul.
A former judicial officer, Foo focuses on commercial litigation, arbitration, and mediation. He joined Oon & Bazul as a partner in September last year along with fellow litigator Priscilla Lua. Both were senior associates at Cavenagh Law, the Singapore law firm of Clifford Chance.
Foo’s areas of practice include cross-border disputes, company law, banking law, equity and trust, joint venture and shareholder disputes, restructuring and insolvency, fraud and asset recovery, international trade, oil and gas, employment and white-collar crime. (from http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
16 November – Tilleke & Gibbins (HCMC, Vietnam)
Thai firm Tilleke & Gibbins has boosted its corporate and commercial advisory capability with the hire of YKVN M&A partner, Tram Ngoc Bich Nguyen, for its Ho Chi Minh City office.
Nguyen, who has spent 16 years at Vietnamese firm YKVN becoming partner in 2019, specializes in advising on domestic and cross-border M&A transactions. Qualified in Vietnam, she also advises on real-estate projects as well as data protection laws. (from http://www.law.com)
15 November – Dentsu Group Inc (Tokyo, Japan)
Tokyo-based advertising and public relations giant Dentsu Group has promoted Alison Zoellner to general counsel, effective in January.
The post will give Zoellner responsibility for legal and compliance teams for 900 companies owned by Dentsu, which does business in 145 countries. (from http://www.law.com)
15 November – Fangda Partners (Shanghai & Shenzhen, China)
Aaron Chen, who has returned from Jia Yuan Law Offices, is a Fangda partner in Shanghai. He focuses on IPO, investment, financing, M&A and restructuring in many areas such as automobiles, aviation, electrical appliances, energy and pharmaceuticals.
Chen’s clients included famous companies such as SAIC Motor, Junshi Biosciences, Apptec and Midea Group.
He was a member of the 18th Main Board Issuance Appraisal Committee of the China Securities Regulatory Commission.
Zou Wen, who had previously spent five years at GEN Law Firm and AnJie & Broad Law Firm after leaving the Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court in 2017, has joined Fangda’s Shenzhen office as a partner. She had served the court for more than a decade, specialising in IP and criminal law. (from http://www.law.com)
14 November – Paul Hastings (Hong Kong, China)
Paul Hastings has boosted to its capital markets stead by adding Deacons partner, Peter Cheng, to its Hong Kong office.
Cheng primarily represents issuers and underwriters on Hong Kong initial public offerings (IPO). He also advises corporates on compliance with Hong Kong Listing Rules, as well as on M&A and private equity investments. He has particular experience acting for companies dealing in the TMT sector. (from http://www.law.com)
14 November – Pinsent Masons (Sydney, Australia)
Pinsent Masons has poached an energy and infrastructure team from K&L Gates to join its Sydney office, while Baker McKenzie and HFW have also made hires in the city.
The Pinsent Masons team consists of partner Kirstie Richards and senior associates Luke Salem and Alec Kibblewhite, who will lead the firm’s Australian planning and environment capabilities, the firm announced. (from http://www.law.com)
11 November – Karas (Hong Kong, China)
Karas LLP in association with Mishcon de Reya is growing its contentious and non-contentious private client capabilities, welcoming new Partner Jonathan Mok and his team to its Hong Kong office on 1 December 2022.
One year on from Karas LLP and Mishcon de Reya launching their association, this marks a significant expansion of the firms’ trilingual private client capability, complementing the expertise across Mishcon de Reya’s London and Singapore offices.
Jonathan is an established senior lawyer, known for his work in high-profile family disputes, criminal defence and regulatory compliance practices.
His reputation for promoting his clients’ interests – beyond a sole focus on family matters to include regional and global wealth planning – has been developed both as the sole principal of Jonathan Mok Legal and in his years spent within international law firms. He will be joined by Carmen Cheng as Special Counsel, along with associate Sarah Wong and legal assistant Angela Li. (from http://www.mishcon.com)
10 November – Reed Smith (Singapore, Singapore)
Reed Smith has continued its Asia expansion with the addition of an associate from Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy in Singapore.
Hui Ling Teo, a transportation lawyer who has spent the last seven years at Milbank in Singapore, has left the firm to join Reed Smith as a partner. (from http://www.law.com)
10 November – Saraf and Partners (Mumbai, India)
Indian law firm Saraf and Partners has hired litigation and arbitration specialist Sairam Subramanian as a partner in Mumbai from Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co.
Subramanian is experienced in general and commercial disputes, infrastructure and property-related disputes. He joined SAM in 2019 from Khaitan & Co, prior to which he worked at DSK Legal. (from http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
8 November – White & Case (Sydney, Australia)
White & Case has launched a debt finance practice in Australia with the hire of two former London based partners.
Partner duo Mark Wesseldine and David Kirkland will spearhead a new debt finance practice, based in the firm’s Sydney office. (from http://www.law.com)
8 November – Bird & Bird (Hong Kong, China)
International law firm Bird & Bird welcomes back Wilfred Ng as a partner in the Tech & Comms team, based in Hong Kong. He started at the firm on the 1st of November.
Wilfred joins from Tencent’s International Privacy and Data Protection Department where he was Senior Legal Counsel, specialising in data protection and privacy issues. Before this role, he was a technology, media, telecoms and data protection lawyer at Bird & Bird in the Hong Kong office, with a secondment in the London Commercial practice covering a range of commercial regulatory and corporate transactional matters in the TMT space. (from http://www.twobirds.com)
7 November – K&L Gates (Hong Kong, China)
K&L Gates has hired Simmons & Simmons debt capital markets partner Jay Lee in Hong Kong.
Qualified in Hong Kong and the U.S., Lee advises financial institutions and corporations on debt capital markets transactions including RMB bonds, G3 bonds, high-yield bonds, asset-backed securities, medium-term notes, and loan syndications. He also advises on structured debt products and derivatives transactions, as well as mergers and acquisitions. (from http://www.law.com)
3 November – Clyde & Co (Singapore, Singapore)
Clyde & Co has hired projects expert Ton van den Bosch (L) as a partner in Singapore from Addleshaw Goddard, where he was the office managing partner.
van den Bosch joined Addleshaw Goddard as a partner in 2019 from Ince & Co, where he was head of the global terminals and maritime infrastructure practice and energy and projects team in South and Southeast Asia. He was earlier general counsel at International Container Terminal Services and Bluewater Energy Services, and also worked at Allen & Overy.
Specialising in corporate, restructuring and project development, van den Bosch focuses on the energy, offshore, logistics, ports, transportation, infrastructure, agribusiness and terminals industries in frontier and emerging markets in Asia, the Gulf and in Africa.
Clyde & Co has also hired Sumyutha Sivamani as legal director in Singapore from RPC. Sivamani specialises in cyber risk and incident response. (from http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
2 November – Makarim & Taira S (Jakarta, Indonesia)
Indonesian law firm ADCO Law has hired Alexandra (Alex) Gerungan as partner and head of its litigation and alternative dispute resolution practice from Makarim & Taira S, where she spent more than 17 years.
She is ADCO’s second partner hire in a little over a month, with the other being corporate lawyer Alta Mahandara, who joined from Wibowo Hadiwijaya & Co in September.
Gerungan has expertise in civil lawsuits, arbitration, employment, debt recovery and restructuring, insurance claims, police and anti-corruption investigations, compliance and internal investigations, and other general corporate and commercial issues. She started her career at Luhut MP Pangaribuan & Partners. (from http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
2 November – White & Case (Sydney, Australia)
White & Case has hired an antitrust partner from Norton Rose Fulbright to its antitrust practice in Sydney.
Belinda Harvey is the firm’s second recent antitrust hire in Sydney, with partner Stefanie Benson joining from Allen & Overy. (from http://www.law.com)
2 November – Shihui Partners (Beijing, China)
Chinese law firm Shihui Partners has hired a team of over 30 intellectual property (IP) practitioners, including patent lawyers, and patent agents and process managers.
One of its new partners is Yue Weining, who joins from King & Wood Mallesons. Yue, who made partner at King & Wood in 2016, has a legal career spanning 15 years specializing in the protection of intellectual property rights with a particular focus on high-tech areas including electronics. He has advised domestic and international technology companies in emerging markets on IP rights protection involving business areas like artificial intelligence, computer software and algorithms to chips and semiconductors. (from http://www.law.com)
1 November – Baker McKenzie (China)
Shih Yann Loo, a senior partner in Baker McKenzie Hong Kong’s intellectual property (IP) group, has been appointed as the firm’s Asia Pacific chair. He succeeds M&A and tax partner Michael Wong, who has returned to practice in Taipei.
As an IP partner qualified in Hong Kong, Singapore and the U.K., Loo’s practice focuses on cross-border litigation enforcement in Hong Kong and China. He has represented clients in some of the largest IP litigation cases across Greater China. These landmark cases include advising a U.S. client on a patent litigation against China’s technology and electronics giant Huawei, and also litigating successfully the first trade secret case in China. (from http://www.law.com)
October
31 October – Ashurst (Canberra, Australia)
Ashurst has hired a special counsel from Australian firm Clayton Utz to join as a partner in the firm’s digital economy team, as it expands its Canberra office to help Australian Government agencies in digital and data projects.
Mathew Baldwin has advised public and private sector clients on a range of contracting and procurement law issues including cloud services, cyber security and data protection, Ashurst said in a statement. (from http://www.law.com)
31 October – Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher (Singapore, Singapore)
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher has hired a new disputes partner, Paul Tan, for its Singapore office.
Tan, a former partner at Cavenagh Law, which operates in a Formal Law Alliance (FLA) in Singapore with Clifford Chance, will lead the Asia international arbitration practice at Gibson Dunn. (from http://www.law.com)
30 October – Clyde & Co (Sydney, Australia)
Clyde & Co appointed head of insurance Lucinda Lyons as its new Australia managing partner.
Lyons, who joined the firm as a partner in 2016, will take over the role from current incumbent Michael Tooma when his five-year term expires on Nov. 1. (from http://www.law.com)
27 October – Dechert (Hong Kong, China)
Dechert has appointed its next Hong Kong managing partner 10 months after the former office leader left the firm.
Asia head and global co-head of white collar, compliance and investigations at Dechert Maria Sit has been appointed to the role, replacing David Cho who left the firm in January. (from http://www.law.com)
27 October – Nozomi Sogo Attorneys at Law (Tokyo, Japan)
Nozomi Sogo Attorneys At Law has hired the president of European Business Council in Japan as the Tokyo-based firm’s first foreign partner.
Swiss-qualified Michael Mroczek, who previously spent a nearly ten-year stint as the first foreign law partner at Okuno & Partners, specializes in international dispute resolution. He is registered as an EU lawyer with the Warsaw Bar Association. The experienced litigator has also served as a former president of the Swiss Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan, and an attorney-at-law at Swiss law firm Stach Rechtsanwälte AG. (from http://www.law.com)
25 October – Yoon & Yang (Seoul, Korea)
South Korea Big Six law firm Yoon & Yang has hired two lawyers and a consultant for its aviation practice, taking its head count in that specialised offering to eight lawyers.
Helen Sohn, a veteran aviation lawyer, has joined Yoon & Yang as senior foreign attorney. She was most recently a partner at the firm’s Big Six rival, Lee & Ko, where she had practiced for almost three decades. (from http://www.law.com)
25 October – Herbert Smith Freehills (Singapore, Singapore)
Herbert Smith Freehills has appointed global co-heads of its technology, media and telecoms sector, with one of the appointments based in its Singapore office for the first time.
Singapore-based partner Mark Robinson takes up one of the co-head roles alongside London partner Veronica Roberts. (from http://www.law.com)
24 October – IndusLaw (Mumbai, India)
Indian law firm IndusLaw has recruited corporate specialist Ashutosh Narang as a partner in Mumbai from Luthra & Luthra Law Offices, which he leaves after a seven-month stint.
Narang, who joined Luthra from a general counsel role at Capital India Finance in March, has more than 16 years of experience. He advises on corporate and commercial matters with focus on banking and finance, fintech, Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code and other regulatory advisory work. His clients include funds, banks and other financial entities. Prior to joining Capital India Finance, Narang worked for law firms AZB & Partners and Link Legal. (from http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
19 October – Luthra & Luthra Law Offices (Delhi & Bengaluru, India)
Indian law firm Luthra & Luthra Law Offices has hired two partners, Tamal Mandal in Delhi, and Abhilekh Verma in Bengaluru. They join from the UK’s Department for International Trade (DIT) and from Kochhar & Co, respectively.
Mandal will be joining the firm’s international trade practice, while Verma will be a part of the corporate practice.
These partner hires are Luthra’s first since August, when the firm brought on board corporate lawyer Sarika Raichur and litigator Abhimanyu Kampani as partners in Delhi from Kochhar & Co and Rajiv Mohan Law Offices, respectively. The firm is currently in a rebuilding phase, after losing 21 partners to DSK Legal in July this year.
With more than 13 years of experience, Mandal advises on litigation, arbitration, inter-state disputes, and trade and investment policies and negotiations with a focus on emerging sectors such as climate change, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and data privacy. Before joining DIT in 2020, he worked for the World Trade Organization. Mandal started his career at the erstwhile Amarchand & Mangaldas & Suresh A Shroff & Co in 2009.
Meanwhile, Verma has more than 26 years of experience. He joined Kochhar as a partner in 2017 from Khaitan & Co, prior to which he worked at J Sagar Associates, and in an in-house role with telecom major Bharti Airtel. (from http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
19 October – HFW (Hong Kong, China)
UK law firm HFW has added a new partner, disputes expert Kevin Warburton, in its Hong Kong office. Warburton will join HFW from local firm Tanner De Witt.
Warburton is HFW’s first partner hire in Hong Kong since September last year, when disputes lawyer Karen Cheung joined from Li & Partners.
With 15 years of experience, Warburton advises on arbitration, commercial litigation, regulatory investigations and inquiries, and privacy and cyber security. He joined Tanner De Witt in 2020 from Slaughter and May, where he spent about 13 years, leaving as a partner. (from http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
18 October – Zhong Lun Law Firm (Shanghai, China)
Zhong Lun Law Firm has hired Jiang Haoxiong as a partner in its capital markets practice, who was previously a partner at Chen & Co Law Firm and Hui Cheng & Partners.
With 30-plus years of experience in capital markets, Jiang specifically focuses on outbound and inbound public offerings and listings, M&A, private equity investing, and cross-border financing.
He was a member of the 10th and 11th Main Board Issuance Appraisal Committee of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, which “helps corporates to grab opportunities and develop smoothly amid the strengthened capital markets regulatory environment”, according to Zhong Lun.
Jiang has advised on significant transactions, such as the Haid Group listing on the SZSE, the Sinopharm Group listing on the HKEX, Fosun High Technology’s listing on the HKEX via a red-chip structure, and French firm Groupe SEB acquiring Chinese-listed company Supor via an equity transfer agreement, voluntary general offer and private placement. (from http://www.law.asia)
18 October – Grandway Law Offices (Shanghai, China)
Grandway Law Offices welcomed Peng Cheng as partner. Peng was originally from AllBright Law Offices. Peng is a capital markets expert and has extensive experience in corporate restructuring and listing, New Third Board listing, equity investment and financing, and mergers and acquisitions. (from http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
18 October – JunHe (Hong Kong, China)
In Hong Kong SAR, JunHe recently added Philip Kwok as partner. Before joining JunHe, Kwok worked at EY’s Hong Kong member firm, LC lawyers.
Kwok was among the first batch of lawyers to pass the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area Legal Professional Examination. Kwok focuses on complex commercial litigation and arbitration, regulatory investigations, cybersecurity and data protection, financial technology compliance, electronic data preservation and retention, as well as disputes and regulatory matters for internet and e-commerce businesses. (from http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
18 October – King & Spalding (Middle East, Singapore & Tokyo)
International law firm King & Spalding said Monday it hired Damien Bailey, the one-time global co-head of telecommunications at Herbert Smith Freehills as a partner to its corporate, finance and investments practice group.
Bailey joins King & Spalding from KPMG Law, where he was a partner. Before joining KPMG, Bailey led the telecom practice at HSF. He also previously led the Asia-Pacific technology, media, telecommunications practice at Simmons & Simmons in Hong Kong.
Bailey, currently based in Sydney, Australia, is expected to divide his time between the firm’s Middle East, Singapore and Tokyo offices, and focuses on data, digital, technology and telecommunications transactions, King & Spalding said in a statement. (from http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
17 October – Thomson Geer (Sydney, Australia)
Australian law firm Thomson Geer has hired a special counsel from top tier corporate firm Clayton Utz to join its construction disputes practice as a partner.
Jack Fan, who joins Thomson Geer’s Sydney office, has experience in complex disputes involving major public infrastructure and has acted on some of the largest public infrastructure projects in New South Wales, including the Sydney Metro Northwest and City and Southwest projects, Parramatta Light Rail, a number of stages of the WestConnex motorway, the NorthConnex motorway, and various rollingstock projects. (from http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
14 October – Han Kun Law Offices (Shanghai, China)
Two former Deloitte Legal partners have joined the Shanghai office of China’s Han Kun Law Offices, following the recent closure of the Big Four accounting firm’s legal arm in Shanghai.
Partners Weiheng Jia and Cody Chen, who were previously partners at Deloitte’s now defunct legal China affiliate Qin Li Law Firm, are corporate lawyers who specialise in multiple practice areas, notably cross-border M&A and corporate regulatory compliance. (from http://www.law.com)
13 October – Penningtons Manches Cooper (Singapore, Singapore)
UK law firm Penningtons Manches Cooper has welcomed back energy lawyer John Zadkovich as a partner in Singapore. Zadkovich had been running an independent energy consultancy in Hong Kong for the past three years.
Penningtons Manches Cooper’s presence in Singapore dates back to 1996, when one of its constituent firms, Thomas Cooper, opened an office in the city-state. Zadkovich marks the firm’s second Singapore partner hire in two years; in February last year, it added corporate lawyer Nick Dingemans from Watson Farley & Williams.
With more than 15 years of experience in energy, trade and finance matters across Asia-Pacific, Europe and the Middle East, Zadkovich puts particular focus on international arbitration, investigations and public international law. He advises sovereign states, state-owned entities, companies, trading houses, private equity funds, and family offices.
Prior to running his independent consultancy, Zadkovich worked for Vinson & Elkins and McGrigors for close to a decade in total. (from http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
13 October – Gadens (Sydney, Australia)
Australian law firm Gadens has hired Dentons’ Sydney office head, who was also its real estate leader in Australia.
Sally Tuckfield joins the national firm as partner in its real estate and construction group in Sydney, Gadens said in a statement. (from http://www.law.com)
12 October – Hiswara Bunjamin & Tandjung (Jakarta, Indonesia)
Herbert Smith Freehills’ Indonesia association firm Hiswara Bunjamin & Tandjung has hired disputes lawyer Prawidha Murti as partner in Jakarta from Oentoeng Suria & Partners, which operates in association with Ashurst.
Murti is the third partner to join Hiswara Bunjamin & Tandjung this year. In May, the firm hired Abimata Putra and Irfan Ghazali from HHP Law Firm and telecom company Sarana Menara Nusantara, respectively. It also lost two partners to Widyawan & Partners, Linklaters’ Indonesia association firm: Disputes and labour expert Narendra Adiyasa, and corporate lawyer Teguh Arwiko.
With about 20 years’ experience, Murti advises international and domestic clients in sectors such as private wealth, energy, infrastructure, projects and construction, technology, media and telecommunications, finance, mining and resources, and aviation, on litigation, arbitration, regulatory and compliance investigations, and contentious competition and employment matters.
Murti was at Oentoeng Suria for five years. Previously, she worked at law firms Makes & Partners and Lubis Santosa & Maramis. (from http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
11 October – Seyfarth Shaw (Hong Kong, China)
U.S. law firm Seyfarth Shaw has added corporate expert Stefano Beghi as a partner in Hong Kong from Italy’s Gianni & Origoni, where he spent about 19 years.
This is the second partner appointment in Hong Kong this year for Seyfarth, which opened its Hong Kong office in 2017. In January, Seyfarth hired TMT expert Paul Haswell as a partner from Pinsent Masons.
Beghi advises international companies as well as family-owned businesses in Middle East, Asia and Europe on multi-jurisdictional issues, including commercial strategy and commercial transactions.
Prior to joining Gianni & Origoni, Beghi worked at advisory firms Andersen Legal and EY. (from http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
11 October – PDLegal (Singapore, Singapore)
Singapore boutique PDLegal has hired insurance disputes expert Wei Hong Ling as a partner, the firm’s second partner hire in 2022. Ling was most recently a vice-president at insurance company Marsh.
In February this year, PDLegal hired disputes specialist Cathryn Neo as a partner in the firm’s international arbitration and China practices from Ashurst ADTLaw.
With roughly 16 years of experience, Ling advises on insurance claims relating to cyber, professional indemnity, bankers’ blanket bonds, and trade credit. He acts for statutory boards, corporations, engineers, architects, quantity surveyors, project engineers, and contractors in sectors such as earthworks, air-conditioning and mechanical ventilation, pipe works, and fireproofing.
Ling worked for Marsh and JLT (which merged with Marsh in 2020) for nearly six years. Previously, he worked at law firms WongPartnership, Tan Kok Quan Partnership, and Drew & Napier. (from http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
10 October – Morgan, Lewis & Bockius (Singapore, Singapore)
Morgan Lewis & Bockius has claimed an eight-lawyer team, including three partners, from K&L Gates, providing a significant boost to its global aviation practices in London, Dubai and Singapore.
Parners Sidanth Rajagopal and Manuela Krach will join Morgan Lewis in London along with an associate, while partner James Bradley will be resident in Singapore, the firm said in a statement. (from http://www.law.com)
9 October – Herbert Smith Freehills (Melbourne, Australia)
Herbert Smith Freehills has hired partner Alice Molan to join its financial services regulatory practice in Melbourne from Walkers in Hong Kong.
Joining the firm on 10 October 2022, Molan will advise clients in the banking, non-bank lending, payments and fintech sectors on Australian and offshore banking regulatory matters alongside partner Charlotte Henry, HSF said. (from http://www.law.com)
7 October – Helmsman (Singapore, Singapore)
Singapore and Hong Kong law firm Helmsman has hired Una Khng as director and head of its commercial disputes practice group. Khng was most recently deputy divisional registrar of the Singapore International Commercial Court (SICC), and assistant registrar of the Supreme Court of Singapore.
Helmsman, established as a shipping and commodity boutique in 2019, created dedicated practice groups for commercial disputes, employment, and corporate, banking and finance last month. Since then it unveiled the following lawyers as the respective practice heads: Associate director Zhida Chen (commodities), director Lynette Koh (corporate, banking and finance), director Maureen Poh (shipping), and associate director Matthew Teo (employment).
Experienced in dispute resolution, Khng advises on matters related to financial products, banking and investment, joint ventures and shareholders, corporate governance, breaches of trust, contracts, fraud and white-collar crime, misrepresentation. and property. Prior to joining the Supreme Court, Khng was at Drew & Napier for nearly six years, leaving in 2013 as an associate director. (from http://www.legalbusinessonline.com)
3 October – Linklaters (Hong Kong, China)
Linklaters has hired Richard Woodworth, the co-head of Allen & Overy’s Asia Pacific restructuring practice, just three months after Allen & Overy took two of Linklaters’ capital markets heavy hitters in Hong Kong.
Woodworth joins Linklaters as a partner in the firm’s Asia restructuring and insolvency practice, leaving Allen & Overy with three restructuring partners in its 11 offices in Asia. He advises creditors, borrowers, insolvency practitioners and other stakeholders on all aspects of financial restructurings and formal insolvency proceedings. (from http://www.law.com)
2 October – Reed Smith (Beijing, China)
Reed Smith has brought on its third new partner for Asia in less than two months.
Corporate lawyer and tech specialist Barbara Li has joined Reed Smith in Beijing with two associates. The team joins from PwC, where Li was a partner in the tax and business advisory team at PwC China, focusing on corporate & regulatory matters. (from http://www.law.com)