Squire Patton Boggs has launched a global commodities and shipping group with the hire of two partners in Singapore.

Barry Stimpson and Jessica Kenworthy both join from Reed Smith. Stimpson's practice covers disputes and advisory work, while Kenworthy focuses on financing matters.

Stimpson leaves Reed Smith after seven years with the firm. He joined in 2012 after more than 13 years at HFW to help establish its Singapore office with partners Gautam Bhattacharyya, Simon Sloane and Philip Antcliffe. Sloane and Antcliffe have since left Reed Smith, in 2015 and 2014, respectively.

Stimpson served as Singapore office managing partner from 2016 to 2018. During his tenure, Reed Smith formed a formal law alliance with Singaporean firm Resource Law, which gives the global firm access to local law practices in various areas, including litigation.

Kenworthy leaves Reed Smith after six years with the firm. She joined its London office as a senior associate in 2013 from Dentons with partner Jonathan Solomon. Kenworthy relocated to Singapore in 2014 and made partner in 2017.

The departures will leave Reed Smith with nine partners in Singapore, focusing on energy and natural resources, commodities and shipping. In addition, international arbitration partners Bhattacharyya, who is now based in London, and United Arab Emirates-based Shourav Lahiri, also spend time in Singapore.

Reed Smith recently recruited Hagen Rooke and Charmian Aw as counsel in Singapore to strengthen its technology and data offerings, both of which are growth areas in Asia, explained Asia-Pacific managing partner Denise Jong to The Asian lawyer in September.

The launch of a global commodities and shipping group augments Squire's leading maritime and logistics practices, the firm said in a statement.

"This is an area in which we already have strong capabilities in London, Australia and the U.S., and with the addition of this team and future hires in the pipeline, we expect to very quickly ascend to become one of the premier firms in the commodities and shipping space," said Mark Ruehlmann, the firm's Cincinnati-based chairman and global chief executive officer, in the statement.

A London-based spokesperson for Reed Smith said in a statement: "We thank Barry and Jessica for their contributions to the firm and wish them well for the future. Reed Smith's Energy & Natural Resources group is 160 strong and we continue to invest in enhancing our global capabilities, most recently with additions of Clément Fouchard in Paris, Eric Lin in Beijing, Jorge Gutierrez in Dallas and Kirsten Polyansky and Mariano Ornelas López in Houston."*

*Updated Nov. 27: This story has been updated with a statement from Reed Smith.

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