Berwin Leighton Paisner has parachuted in Bob Charlton to head its Asia group, a role he held at DLA Piper until late last year when a management reshuffle led to his exit.
Charlton will oversee BLP’s three Asian offices – in Singapore, Beijing and Hong Kong – and manage the planned expansion of the firm’s Asia Network from London when he joins in October 2014, before relocating to Hong Kong in January 2015.
BLP’s network launched earlier this year with alliances in Indonesia with Mataram Partners and Legal Network Consultants in Myanmar. The firm also has an ongoing relationship with South East Asian firm DFDL.
Charlton is a veteran of law management and has 30 years of Magic Circle experience under his belt, following a two decade spell at Clifford Chance that ended in 1999, when he switched to Freshfields. He is a finance specialist with a focus on international banking, asset finance and infrastructure projects.
Having arrived at DLA Piper as international head of the firm’s finance and projects group, Charlton was promoted to head of Asia. However, that position was short-lived, with DLA Piper late last year installing a US-led committee to take responsibility for the management of Asia.
tom.moore@legalease.co.uk
