King & Spalding has hired King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) disputes partner Peter Megens to join its Singapore office.

Megens, who is currently co-head of KWM's arbitration practice and a senior member of its construction team, will relocate from Melbourne, Australia to Singapore in July.

He has over 30 years' experience representing clients in disputes arising out of construction, energy, mining and infrastructure projects, with cases relating to projects throughout Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

He is currently a director and vice president of the Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (ACICA), the national chair of the construction and infrastructure law committee of the Law Council of Australia, and a fellow of the Institute of Arbitrators and Mediators, ACICA and the Singapore Institute of Arbitrators.

Reggie Smith, who heads the global disputes team at the US firm, said Megens' appointment was part of the firm's strategy to grow its litigation and arbitration practice globally.

"Our firm has made a strategic decision to invest further in our marquee international arbitration practice, and especially in our international construction disputes capability.

"Peter's stature as an outstanding construction disputes lawyer fits this bill, and nicely complements our world-class commercial and investment treaty arbitration practice serving the Asia-Pacific region from Singapore."

King & Spalding opened its Singapore office in August 2010, its first office in Asia, and has since been building up its core practice areas in the city state.

In October the firm hired oil and gas specialist Merrick White from Clifford Chance to join the Singapore base, followed by the recruitment of a team of lawyers from Wikborg Rein, including the Norwegian firm's global projects head Kelly Malone.

With Megens' hire King & Spalding in Singapore now boasts 10 disputes lawyers, two of which are partners, alongside four project finance and project development partners.

Partners say they will continue to build on existing practice areas, and hope to launch a corporate practice in the Asian base later this year.