Elizabeth Broomhall In Hong Kong

March 17, 2014 | International Edition

Latham & Watkins has further boosted its partnership ranks with the promotion of six counsel across the US, Europe and Asia. The promotions, effective March 1, are part of the US firm's annual promotions round, which in January saw 20 associates made up to partner and 24 lawyers elected as counsel. In Asia, the firm has selected Posit Laohaphan in Hong Kong and Andrew Roche in Singapore, who respectively specialise in capital markets and project finance work.

By Elizabeth Broomhall in Hong Kong

2 minute read

March 16, 2014 | International Edition

Bryan Cave has hired two senior partners from DLA Piper to lead its new office in Miami. The Missouri-headquartered firm, which is looking to tap work coming from Florida and Latin America, in particular Florida-based litigation, has launched the new base at 200 South Biscayne Boulevard, with the recruitment of Pedro Martinez-Fraga and Ryan Reetz.

By Elizabeth Broomhall in Hong Kong

3 minute read

March 13, 2014 | International Edition

When Slaughter and May cast aside 125 years of tradition to make its first lateral partner hire in Hong Kong earlier this year it said something about the market in the Asian city. But as growing numbers of firms – both UK and US – pile into the region or bolster their ranks in a bid to capture a share of the coveted market, competition for talent, work and on fees is immense. Against this backdrop it is unsurprising that some firms are now reappraising their strategy, with it emerging this week that Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy is planning on winding up its local practice in the city. Having had a Hong Kong law practice for less than four years, the suggestion is that the firm is refocusing on international work and looking to adopt a similar model to the one it employs in Singapore, where it partners with top-tier local firms rather than hiring its own local lawyers. Given Milbank's profitability and the recent hires of two senior partners from Allen & Overy (A&O) in Hong Kong and Japan, as well as this week's capture of Stephenson Harwood aviation finance head Paul Ng in Singapore, the firm certainly seems to be evolving rather than downsizing.

By Elizabeth Broomhall in Hong Kong

4 minute read

March 13, 2014 | International Edition

July 2013. In a meeting room in King & Wood Mallesons' Hong Kong office, a group of journalists wait for an announcement about the firm's pending merger with UK outfit SJ Berwin. The press invitation had been sent out a day before voting closed – a sign the firms were confident about winning partner approval for the union. Cheering and clapping from a room next door confirms the tie-up will go ahead; office staff having just been informed. At the press conference, management finally announces the details, with all of the partners visibly excited – not to mention relieved – after months of deliberation. Today, four months after the merger went live on 1 November 2013, the new entity – not so catchily named King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) SJ Berwin in the UK and Europe for the time being and KWM elsewhere – is very much a reality. SJ Berwin lawyers have moved into the China/Australian firm's offices in Shanghai and Hong Kong, London-based KWM teams have switched to legacy SJ Berwin's City headquarters, global practice coordinators have been appointed in nine core areas and management bodies with representatives from China, London and Australia have already started meeting regularly.

By Elizabeth Broomhall in Hong Kong

20 minute read

March 13, 2014 | International Edition

The former head of Allens' Singapore office Marae Ciantar has joined local outfit Rajah & Tann to lead the 20-lawyer energy and resources group. Ciantar, who played a key role in growing the Australian firm's clientbase in South East Asia, was the last Allens partner to leave the Singapore base after the tie up with magic circle firm Linklaters saw the two firms combine offices in the island state.

By Elizabeth Broomhall in Hong Kong

2 minute read

March 13, 2014 | International Edition

Clifford Chance and Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy have advised on the $316m (HK$2.45bn) Hong Kong IPO of Chinese theme park operator Haichang Holdings. The Dalian-based company, which in 2012 was reported to be the largest marine theme park operator in China in terms of admission attendance, plans to use 50% of the proceeds to build its Haichang Polar Ocean World theme park in Shanghai and 40% to fund another project, Sanya Haitang Bay Dream World.

By Elizabeth Broomhall in Hong Kong

2 minute read

March 13, 2014 | International Edition

Canadian insurance giant Manulife Financial is to promote its general counsel for Canada, Stephen Sigurdson, to the role of senior executive vice president, corporate affairs and general counsel for the company globally in the place of its existing GC Jean-Paul Bisnaire, who is retiring in December.

By Elizabeth Broomhall in Hong Kong

2 minute read

March 13, 2014 | International Edition

Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) has expanded into Myanmar through a tie-up with local outfit Legal Network Consultants (LNC). The Yangon-based firm is now a member of BLP's Asia network, which has been created so that the firm can tap a steady flow of deals coming out of the country. To date BLP has been servicing the market out of Singapore, with a practice led by the firm's Singapore head and project finance partner Alistair Duffield, corporate partner Ken Cheung and energy and projects partner Nomita Nair.

By Elizabeth Broomhall in Hong Kong

3 minute read

March 12, 2014 | International Edition

Milbank Tweed Hadley and McCloy has recruited Stephenson Harwood's global aviation chief Paul Ng in Singapore. Ng, who joined Stephenson Harwood in 2009 from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer where he was both head of aviation and of asset finance, has worked on some of the biggest aviation deals in Asia. He is the third senior lateral partner hire for Milbank in Asia since May last year.

By Elizabeth Broomhall in Hong Kong

3 minute read

March 11, 2014 | International Edition

Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom and Paul Hastings have taken lead roles on the secondary listing of Japanese clothing company Fasting Retailing in Hong Kong. The retailer, whose primary listing is in Tokyo, has not issued shares or raised funds from the deal, but listed Hong Kong depositary receipts in the city by way of introduction so that investors can buy and sell shares in Hong Kong dollars instead of yen.

By Elizabeth Broomhall in Hong Kong

2 minute read