Pinsent Masons bulks up Corporate Practice across Asia Pacific

In Singapore, Perry Yuen, Kelvyn Oo and Bethia Su will be joining Pinsent Masons early in 2014. All three arrive as partners from prominent Singaporean firm Khattar Wong's corporate practice, and are expected to be joined by between four and five associates. The team has extensive expertise in joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions and compliance issues and have acted on high profile matters including the unwinding PT Borneo’s and Bakrie’s joint interests in Bumi.

In a further coup, Pinsent Masons has also appointed Philipp Senff, previously Head of SJ Berwin's Shanghai office, into the firm's Corporate group. A German national, Senff will further enhance the firm's pre-eminent position advising manufacturing and industrial clients operating in China.

Andrew Masraf, Head of the Corporate practice at Pinsent Masons, says:

"We have made significant investment into the Asia Pacific region in recent years, with the doubling of our team in Shanghai in 2012 and the launch of a TMT practice in Singapore in 2013. This latest wave of investment will have a transformational impact on our corporate capability in region, allowing us to service work emanating from our clients in the energy, infrastructure and manufacturing sectors which until now we have had to turn away." 

Ian Laing, Head of Pinsent Masons' Asia practice, says:

"These appointments are a real statement of intent for the firm. We have had 30% turnover growth in Asia Pacific for each of the past two years and are confident about our future prospects. Singapore has cemented its place as a regional hub for South East Asia, in particular Myanmar, Vietnam and Indonesia. Meanwhile Shanghai remains a crucial centre of manufacturing for China with strong links into Europe through Munich. We have a significant opportunity to win greater corporate work in a number of important areas."

The appointments are the latest phase of expansion for Pinsent Masons in Asia Pacific. In April 2013 the firm appointed Bryan Tan in to launch the firm's TMT practice in Singapore, while in June 2012 the firm appointed Bernd Uwe Stucken and Liu Wei as part of a major expansion its Shanghai office. 

The firm's Corporate practice in Asia had a busy end to 2013, advising Octal Capital Ltd on the listing of Willas-Array Electronics (Holdings) Ltd on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, and assisting Quam Capital Ltd as sponsors on the HK$100m listing of U Banquet Holdings and China Binary Sale Technology Ltd on the Hong Kong Growth Enterprise Market.