The agreement, which goes live from 1 January, sees Bird & Bird join forces with the 10-partner ATMD, giving it a fourth office in the Asia region in addition to Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai.

ATMD, which was established in 1994, has around 30 fee earners and specialises in intellectual property (IP), as well as technology-focused corporate and commercial work. ATMD managing partner Alban Kang will continue as managing partner in Singapore.

ATMD is currently associated with Tay & Partners in Malaysia, and this relationship will continue, although Tay & Partners will continue to operate as an independent firm.

Kang said: "This is a great deal for our people and our clients, as Bird & Bird is a very similar firm to ATMD in terms of culture and approach to business, but on an international scale. Our clients will benefit from the increased international coverage and wider array of legal skills, while our lawyers will have greater opportunities to work on cross border legal matters with new colleagues across Europe and Asia."

Bird & Bird CEO David Kerr (pictured) added: "With two successful offices in Beijing and Hong Kong and a new office recently opened in Shanghai, this association with ATMD, a very highly regarded firm in Singapore, will further grow our presence in Asia as we look to continue our policy of targeted international expansion. We are confident that the association will be a success as the ATMD brand is very strong, having been built on the excellent reputation of its lawyers."

The alliance is the latest in a string of moves Bird & Bird has made internationally, having this year simultaneously launched in Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic as well as securing an alliance with Polish IP specialist firm Grynhoff Wozny Malinski.

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Bird & Bird

The agreement, which goes live from 1 January, sees Bird & Bird join forces with the 10-partner ATMD, giving it a fourth office in the Asia region in addition to Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai.

ATMD, which was established in 1994, has around 30 fee earners and specialises in intellectual property (IP), as well as technology-focused corporate and commercial work. ATMD managing partner Alban Kang will continue as managing partner in Singapore.

ATMD is currently associated with Tay & Partners in Malaysia, and this relationship will continue, although Tay & Partners will continue to operate as an independent firm.

Kang said: "This is a great deal for our people and our clients, as Bird & Bird is a very similar firm to ATMD in terms of culture and approach to business, but on an international scale. Our clients will benefit from the increased international coverage and wider array of legal skills, while our lawyers will have greater opportunities to work on cross border legal matters with new colleagues across Europe and Asia."

Bird & Bird CEO David Kerr (pictured) added: "With two successful offices in Beijing and Hong Kong and a new office recently opened in Shanghai, this association with ATMD, a very highly regarded firm in Singapore, will further grow our presence in Asia as we look to continue our policy of targeted international expansion. We are confident that the association will be a success as the ATMD brand is very strong, having been built on the excellent reputation of its lawyers."

The alliance is the latest in a string of moves Bird & Bird has made internationally, having this year simultaneously launched in Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic as well as securing an alliance with Polish IP specialist firm Grynhoff Wozny Malinski.

More news, deals and comment on Bird & Bird

Bird & Bird on the Legal Week Wiki