Beachcroft LLP announced today that the firm will be opening an office in Singapore, adding to the firm’s international presence in Brussels, Dublin and Auckland, and a joint venture in India. London partner Ben Nicholson will relocate to Singapore in early 2011 to establish the practice.
Senior Partner Simon Hodson commented: “The plan for a Singapore office is in line with the strategy and aspirations for growing our Specialist and International Risk Group (“SIR”) business. There is demand from a number of our clients for Beachcroft to have an international offering and we currently advise on a broad range of international matters for clients which have operations that extend beyond England and Wales. We are not seeking to expand arbitrarily across the globe, but to establish a credible and competitive capability in selected jurisdictions to service the specific requirements of Beachcroft’s client base.”
Ben Nicholson added: “It is a particularly exciting time for the firm to be opening an office in Asia. Singapore has emerged as the real growth market for Asian insurance business, and while there continues to be a considerable amount of Asian business underwritten or managed in London, the local Asian insurance market is growing rapidly and its clear that we need to be present in the Asian as well as the London market.”
The opening of a Singapore office is a further development for the SIR group following the recruitment of Mark Sutton as a partner earlier this year. The group advises London Market and international insurers and reinsurers on a diverse range of high value claims across many lines of business, often involving complex coverage and jurisdictional issues. The Group has advised on a large number of high value claims arising from Asia over the past decade and is now looking to build on that platform to develop a regional presence.
The initial focus of the Singapore practice will be on advising on complex, high value commercial disputes – principally for insurers and reinsurers. In addition, the office will advise on insurance policy wordings, global programmes and coverage disputes, and support other parts of the Beachcroft LLP business in relation to matters with an Asian dimension.
