Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP opened an office in Shanghai, which brings the total number of offices in Asia Pacific to six. The Shanghai office is to focus on M&A, corporate finance and real estate.
Source: www.lawfuel.com
Hong Kong: LAWFUEL – Law Firm Newswire – Renowned Hong Kong litigator Brian Gilchrist is to join leading law firm Clifford Chance from 1 May 2008.
Brian joins the strongest litigation team in Asia, with four partners based in Hong Kong, including leading practitioner Martin Rogers, and 40 litigation lawyers working across Asia.
“His courtroom and advisory record in Hong Kong speaks for itself, and he brings with him a wealth of contacts in, and a deep understanding of, the city’s corporate and commercial world that will complement our existing strengths,” said Martin Rogers, Head of Litigation and Dispute Resolution for Clifford Chance in Asia.
“We work hard to develop and promote the talent within our firm, but we could not pass up the opportunity to add a litigator of Brian’s talent and experience to the team.”
With Brian joining, the practice adds another element to its market-leading corporate disputes capability, in particular, Brian’s extensive experience in tax-related disputes.
Source: www.LawFuel.com
Latham & Watkins plans to open three offices in the Middle East in March of this year, holding the distinction of the first law firm to do so. Last week Latham hired corporate partner Rindala Beydoun to head the three offices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Qatar in March. Three Latham partners and about 12 associates will also transfer to the Middle East later this year. The firm is also “actively recruiting from the market at the moment,”Beydoun says.
Source: thelawyer.com
Following Reed Smith’s merger with Richards Butler Hong Kong, the firm plans on sending two trainees to Hong Kong. Mark Matthew, Reed Smith graduate recruitment manager, says this will occur later this month [February] at the next seat rotation. The merger,announced January 1, 2008, added about £30m to Reed Smith’s annual turnover.
Source: www.thelawyer.com
Clifford Chance (CC) has boosted its Asia litigation team with the hire of a partner from Mayer Brown JSM, the magic circle law firm announced today (18 February).
Brian Gilchrist joins CC’s Hong Kong arm on 1 May. He specialises in banking and insurance disputes, directors’ duties and minority shareholders’ rights matters, as well as tax-related areas.
Gilchrist joined leading Hong Kong firm Johnson Stokes & Master in 1995 from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. Johnson Stokes merged with Mayer Brown late last year, adding around 260 lawyers to the ranks of the top 10 US outfit and $160m (£81m) to its annual revenues.
At CC, Gilchrist joins a firmwide litigation group that numbers more than 660 lawyers. The Asia dispute team covers Bangkok, Singapore, Beijing, Shanghai and Tokyo as well as Hong Kong, where the City giant currently has four litigation partners based full-time.
Commenting on the hire, Martin Rogers, who heads up CC’s Asia litigation and dispute resolution practice, said: “[Gilchrist’s] courtroom and advisory record in Hong Kong speaks for itself. He will compliment our existing strengths.”
The appointment comes after CC last year completed a review of its litigation department overseen by UK disputes chief Nicholas Munday. The review resulted in the firm’s entire shipping team, including practice head Mark Morrison, switch to City firm Holman Fenwick & Willan
Source: Legalweek.com / Article written by Emma Sadowski
Skadden Arps Meagher & Flom will open a Shanghai branch Monday, February 18th, the firm has announced. Partner Gregory Miao, formerly of Beijing and Hong Kong, will head the office, which will focus on corporate and real estate law. Skadden joins a rush of moves to Shanghai, where it will join firms such as Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton and Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson.
Source: www.nylawyer.com
Top law firms Latham & Watkins and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer are set to embark on initiatives to gain footing in the Middle Eastern market. Latham has hired partners from Vinson & Elkins to launch their Dubai branch, while Freshfields has relocated many of its London associates to its existing offices in the area. Allen & Overy and Clifford Chance are among the premier firms with UAE branches, solidifying a trend in efforts to capture lucrative clients in the Middle East.
Source: www.legalweek.com
Minneapolis-based firm Fredrikson & Byron will open an office in Shanghai, the firm has reported. The new office will be helmed by attorney Ruilin Li and will house two additional attorneys.
Source: www.bizjournals.com/twincities/
