• September 4, 2013 |

    US duo lead on Sinopec's $3.1bn purchase of Apache Egypt stake

    Vinson & Elkins and Weil Gotshal & Manges have advised on Sinopec's purchase of a 33% stake in the Egyptian oil and gas business of American energy corporation Apache, for $3.1bn (£1.99bn). The transaction, which is still subject to approval, saw Sinopec's subsidiary Sinopec International Petroleum Exploration and Production Corporation (SIPC) acquire the Egyptian assets after entering into a strategic partnership with the Texas-based company to pursue joint, upstream oil and gas projects.

    1 minute read

  • August 27, 2013 |

    Skadden, K&L Gates lead as Baidu takes stake in group-buying site

    Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom and K&L Gates were lead advisors as Chinese social networking company Renren agreed to sell shares of its Groupon-like subsidiary Nuomi Holdings to Chinese internet search giant Baidu. The deal, which remains subject to approval, will see Baidu take a 59% equity interest in Nuomi for a purchase price of $160m, giving it a bigger share of China's fast-growing group-buying market.

    1 minute read

  • August 27, 2013 |

    Transfer Window Asia: recent moves including Ashurst and Simmons

    Ropes & Gray has added to its corporate practice in Seoul with the hire of counsel Jaewoo Lee from Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton. Lee, who joins the US firm as a partner, will initially be based out of New York and Hong Kong but will relocate to Ropes and Gray's Seoul office when his license to practice in the North Asian state is approved.

    1 minute read

  • August 16, 2013 |

    Ex-Herbert Smith Asia disputes head to join Linklaters as exits continue

    Linklaters has made a key hire for its Hong Kong litigation team with the addition of Herbert Smith Freehills' former Asia disputes head Gavin Lewis. Lewis, who is top rated for China disputes and contentious regulatory work, is expected to join the magic circle firm's Hong Kong base in November or December this year, bringing the total number of disputes partners in the office to to four.

    1 minute read

  • 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.

    1 minute read

  • 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.

    1 minute read

  • 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.

    1 minute read

  • 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.

    1 minute read

  • 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.

    1 minute read

  • 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.

    1 minute read