Gibson Dunn & Crutcher has launched an office in Singapore after hiring a three-partner team from rival US firm Jones Day.

Gibson Dunn corporate partner Jai Pathak has moved from the firm's Los Angeles headquarters to lead the new branch, where he will be joined by three new partners.

Corporate partner Emad Khalil, who previously co-led the global projects practice at Jones Day, joins Gibson Dunn alongside infrastructure partner John Viverito and leveraged finance partner Saptak Santra.

Pathak is also a former Jones Day partner, having switched to Gibson Dunn in February after more than a decade with the Cleveland-based firm, where he headed the India practice and previously led the firm's Singapore arm.

The new office will focus primarily on US, English and Indian law in areas including real estate, capital markets, private equity and finance. The office will be supported by around half a dozen other staff.

Gibson Dunn managing partner Ken Doran said: "Opening in Singapore is a logical move for Gibson Dunn. Singapore is one of the leading financial centres in the world, giving us enhanced capacity to serve our clients through out the world."

The news continues a run of hires for Gibson Dunn, which earlier this month brought in Palo Alto-based securities partner George Brown from Heller Ehrman and hired Munich employment partner Mark Zimmer from Baker & McKenzie in April.

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