Described by Legal 500 as a ‘dynamic emerging market’, Indonesia has welcomed another international entrant as Taylor Wessing launches in Jakarta via a cooperation agreement with local law firm Hanafiah Ponggawa & Partners (HPRP).
The deal will see top 20 LB100 firm Taylor Wessing and 10-partner HPRP ‘share knowledge, resources and best practice, enabling them to provide a service to clients in Singapore, Indonesia and across Taylor Wessing’s wider network of offices,’ a statement said today (8 October).
Indonesia’s HPRP, ranked first-tier in the Legal 500 in real estate and second-tier in restructuring and insolvency, has been a close partner of RHTLaw Taylor Wessing in Singapore over the last two years.
The news follows the 964-lawyer firm’s announcement in July that the Singapore office would spearhead a regional network through which it would form alliances with local firms across the ASEAN region. This latest Indonesian agreement will offer clients access to more than 950 legal professionals across 23 offices in the EMEA region.
Tan Chong Huat, managing partner of RHTLaw Taylor Wessing said: ‘In Singapore we are fortunate to have grown into new markets, and developed practice specialisms along the way. Our partnership with HPRP, one of the most respected law firms in Indonesia, will give a tremendous boost to our regional Southeast Asian practice.’
HPRP managing partner Constant Marino Ponggawa added: ‘Our partners have enjoyed a long-standing and solid relationship with the partners of RHTLaw Taylor Wessing and are pleased to be in association together to offer our clients the added resources and expertise of a full-service international firm.’
Taylor Wessing has three other offices in Asia and is known to be considering its options in relation to a further office opening in Hong Kong.
Many international firms have recently entered into similar partnerships in Indonesia, including top 15 LB100 firm Clyde & Co, which joined up with Lubis Ganie Surowidjojo (LGS) in September, while global verein DLA Piper signed an agreement with Ivan Almaida Baely & Firmansyah (IAB&F) in May.
Elsewhere, White & Case partnered up with Indonesian firm MD & Partners in January, six years after finishing its alliance with local firm Ali Budiardjo Nugroho Reksodiputro. Hogan Lovells also joined up with Hermawan Juniarto in April 2012, and Ashurst entered into an association with Oentoeng Suria & Partners, following its merger with Australia’s Blake Dawson.
sarah.downey@legalease.co.uk
