Following a new office opening in Perth, WA (1 June 2011) and recent Partner promotions in the region (announced 1 April 2011), Holman Fenwick Willan today announced several developments in its Asia-Pacific practice, that will strengthen its capabilities across core sectors of focus and underpin its position as market leaders for international commerce. The developments, include:
Paul Aston will relocate from Shanghai to the Singapore office, to lead its developing Energy & Offshore team (along with Partners Barry Stimpson and Chanaka Kumarasinghe) and will become the new office head. Paul initially worked in the firm’s London and then Hong Kong offices. In 1991 he went on to found HFW’s Singapore office, and was its first office head. Since 2008, Paul has been head of the Shanghai office. He will relocate to Singapore in July 2011. Simon Davidson, who has run the firm’s Singapore office for 12 years, will focus full time on his legal practice.
Henry Fung takes over from Paul Aston as office head in Shanghai. Henry, who will continue to split his time between Shanghai and Hong Kong, has a broad practice covering both contentious and transactional matters in the shipping sector and has a strong reputation for international commercial litigation. The firm’s Shanghai office has grown significantly over the last three years, with revenue increases of 250% and the promotion of Nicholas Poynder and more recently Julian Davies to Partner, and Jenny Chester to Senior Manager.
Guy Hardaker, currently a London Partner, plans to relocate to the Singapore office in August 2011, to strengthen the trade and commodities practice. An international arbitration specialist, Guy has a broad energy practice, principally upstream oil and gas covering transactional, regulatory, risk management and dispute resolution matters. Guy worked in the firm’s Hong Kong office for 10 years before returning to London.
In Hong Kong we will be joined by Corporate Partner Jonathan Moult, who will further strengthen our existing corporate team of Henry Fung and Patrick Cheung. Previously a Partner with Herbert Smith and then Simmons and Simmons in Hong Kong, Jonathan brings extensive experience in acquisition finance, property finance, capital markets and global loans. Jonathan joins the firm in September 2011.
In Australia we continue to grow our East Coast practice, with Partner David Coogans joining Stephen Thompson in our Sydney office, further strengthening our Shipping & Transport team. David is a Mariner and formerly a Partner with Richards Butler in Hong Kong. He has an extensive history in the shipping sector having previously served with Cunard on a variety of ships and now handles a range of both wet and dry matters. David joins the firm on 1 July 2011.
Paul Hatzer, HFW’s Asia-Pacific Managing Partner comments: “These are exciting times for HFW in the Asia-Pacific region. Recent Partner promotions and a new office in Perth demonstrate the firm’s desire to provide clients with the experience and capability they need from legal advisors in the markets in which they operate. These further developments are in response to the growth we continue to see across the region and are in direct response to client needs.”
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