Aside from the big Asia Pacific news this week of SJ Berwin’s tie-up with King & Wood Mallesons, other major players are expanding in the region or re-freshing their leadership teams.
Baker & McKenzie Wong & Leow, the Singapore arm of Bakers, has appointed a new managing partner. Andy Leck is to replace Edmund Leow, who has been appointed as a Judicial Commissioner in the Supreme Court of Singapore. Leow will leave the global law firm on 31 August to take on his new role.
‘Leow is one of the finest legal minds around, who has practised law with the highest integrity,’ said Wong Kien Keong, chairman of the firm in Singapore
Leck is currently the head of the intellectual property (IP) practice and co-head of the disputes practice in Singapore and has 20 years of experience in contentious and non-contentious IP matters.
Morrison & Foerster, meanwhile, has bulked up its Singapore presence with the hire of corporate partners Jake Robson and Adam Summerly from Norton Rose Fulbright. The firm, which opened in Singapore earlier this year, has landed two Singapore veterans as Robson and Summerly have been in Singapore for eight and 14 years respectively. Both partners’ practices are focused on M&A, private equity, cross-border investment and joint ventures in the banking, insurance, natural resources and telecoms sectors.
‘Jake and Adam, both of whom have extensive M&A experience, bring distinguished track records advising on large and cutting-edge transactions throughout the region,’ said Eric Piesner, Singapore managing partner and firm-wide managing partner for Asia.
Finally, Taylor Wessing‘s Singapore member firm, RHT Law Taylor Wessing, has stated plans to secure formal alliances with local firms in four Southeast Asian markets next month. The firm is looking for tie-ups with firms in Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia in the next four months.
Tim Eyles, UK managing partner of Taylor Wessing, commented: ‘Asia is an area of focus for us and we are continuing to develop relationships in Hong Kong and the ASEAN region.’
david.stevenson@legalease.co.uk