White & Case has entered into an association in Indonesia with Jakarta-based firm Witara Cakra Advocates after its previous alliance firm suffered partner exits.

The US-headquartered firm has formed the alliance following the departure of two key partners from its previous alliance firm, MD & Partners, who have joined Norton Rose Fulbright and Hadiputranto Hadinoto & Partners – a member of Baker & McKenzie's network of associated firms – respectively.

A spokesperson for White & Case said: "White & Case has been active in Indonesia for more than 40 years, and we continue to work with leading Indonesian law firms to provide the best advice to our clients."

The firm first entered into an exclusive alliance in the country in 2013, working with local outfit MD & Partners, which was founded by M&A practitioner Mita Djajadiredja, who has now returned to her previous firm, Hadiputranto Hadinoto, and Nadia Soraya, who has joined Norton Rose in Australia.

White & Case previously had a non-exclusive agreement with Jakarta-based Ali Budiardjo Nugroho Reksodiputro, which ended in 2005.

Currently the firm's presence in Asia includes offices in Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo and Jakarta. In addition, it is looking to open an office in South Korea and is expected to launch in Seoul by the end of the year, as revealed by Legal Week.

Last month White & Case was granted an extension to its Singapore licence, allowing the firm to advise on Singapore law until April 2019.