• August 14, 2013 |

    Sidley to triple size of Singapore base as firm eyes 50 lawyers in three years

    Sidley Austin is to triple the size of its Singapore offices in the next two months as it looks to grow the base to around 50 lawyers in the next three years. The US firm, which was one of four to be awarded a licence to practice local law in February, will relocate from its existing office on level 41 of 6 Battery Road, sized 4,800sf, to a new space on ;evel 31 of the same building, topping 12,200sf.

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  • August 13, 2013 |

    Vinson China co-head to relocate to HK in wake of Shanghai closure

    Vinson & Elkins' (V&E) China co-head David Blumental is to move to Hong Kong following the firm's decision to close its Shanghai office in July. Blumental, who launched the Shanghai base in 2005 and spent more than eight years developing his practice in the city, will relocate along with several associates, although an exact timeframe for the move has not been given.

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  • August 7, 2013 |

    K&L Gates adds Singapore partner duo with White & Case and Watson Farley hires

    K&L Gates has become the latest firm to bolster its M&A and energy teams in Singapore, with the addition of two new partners. The US firm has recruited White & Case energy specialist Lian Yok Tan to advise on project finance, corporate and commercial matters related to large oil and gas deals, whilst corporate practitioner Nicholas Hanna from Watson Farley & Williams has been appointed to work on private equity transactions and capital raising.

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  • August 4, 2013 |

    The Transfer Window: recent moves including Shearman, CMS and A&O

    Shearman & Sterling has appointed Arnold & Porter white collar partner Claudius Sokenu to its litigation group, in a boost to the firm's anticorruption and securities enforcement practices. Sokenu, who will split his time between London, New York and Washington DC, is a former senior counsel in the Securities Exchange Commission's (SEC) Division of Enforcement. In private practice, he has represented clients in Foreign Corrupt Practices Act investigations, and compliance matters before the SEC, the US Department of Justice and the UK Serious Fraud Office.

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  • August 2, 2013 |

    Sidley continues to ramp up Singapore with fourth partner hire since local licence win

    Sidley Austin has hired its fourth partner in Singapore since receiving a local licence in the city-state in February, giving it a total partner headcount of eight. The US firm this week recruited project finance partner Nicholas Grambas from Gilbert + Tobin (G+T)in Melbourne, in a bid to ramp up its infrastructure-focused team.

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  • August 1, 2013 |

    Weil Gotshal loses high-flying London litigator to Sidley Austin

    Sidley Austin has hired Weil Gotshal & Manges litigation partner Matthew Shankland to its disputes resolution group in London. Shankland, who represents clients in commercial disputes in the higher courts, the European court and arbitration tribunals, has a particular practice focus on alternative dispute resolution and cross-border bankruptcy and insolvency work for financial institutions.

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  • July 25, 2013 |

    Davis Polk and Sidley act on China search engine giant's $1.9bn app store purchase

    Davis Polk & Wardwell and Sidley Austin have taken the lead roles on China search engine giant Baidu's $1.9bn (£1.2bn) buyout of app store 91 Wireless. Baidu is set to purchase the entire share capital of the Chinese app distributor as it seeks to boost its profile in the mobile internet market. Under the terms of the transaction, Baidu will buy a 57.41% stake in the company from parent and online game developer Netdragon and the remaining equity interest from other shareholders.

    1 minute read

  • July 17, 2013 |

    Vinson Shanghai energy partner joins Sidley after office closure announcement

    Sidley Austin has ramped up its Singapore energy practice with the hire of M&A partner Tju Liang from Vinson & Elkins in Shanghai. The hire comes just days after Vinson announced plans to close the Shanghai base later this year.

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  • July 9, 2013 |

    Gibson Dunn recruits Hogan Lovells energy partner in first hire since QFLP award

    Gibson Dunn & Crutcher has hired Hogan Lovells' energy head for South East Asia Brad Roach in its first move to bolster the number of partners in the region since receiving a Qualifying Foreign Law Practice (QFLP) licence in February. The Los Angeles head-quartered firm, which previously said it would look to supplement its existing M&A, energy and infrastructure practices in Singapore, as well as adding arbitration to its offering, now counts four partners in the island city-state in addition to 12 legal staff.

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  • July 2, 2013 |

    Jones Day grows Hong Kong team with hire of Orrick finance partner

    Jones Day has grown its Hong Kong office with the appointment of banking and finance partner Michelle Taylor from US rival Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe. Taylor, who was previously the Asia managing partner for Orrick in Hong Kong before IP partner Xiang Wang took over the role in April, joins Jones Day with one associate, and boosts the total number of partners at the firm's Hong Kong office to 18.

    1 minute read