King & Wood Mallesons will further strengthen its global capability, and its Asian connections and capability, with its granting of a foreign law practice licence by the Attorney General’s Chambers.
The Singapore practice will have an initial focus on International Funds, Energy and Resources and China inbound and outbound work, providing clients with a different choice of top-tier international legal expertise for cross-border and domestic work in South East Asia, and supporting Singapore-based clients with their outbound investments.
Commenting on the firm’s decision to open in Singapore, Global Managing Partner Stuart Fuller said:
“As the only global law firm headquartered in Asia, King & Wood Mallesons is committed to building its global practice from a strong base in the region. Singapore is a key market for our clients given its role as a financial and trading hub and a gateway for investments around South East Asia, North Asia and India. Our expansion into these markets through our office in Singapore is the logical next step for the firm.”
As regional and global trade and investment becomes more crucial, there is a significant demand for high-quality legal services and as the only firm in the world able to practice Chinese, Hong Kong, Australian, English and European and US law, King & Wood Mallesons will provide clients with a truly unique offering to support their commercial objectives in the region and beyond.
“This was a strategic decision driven by our clients. We are constantly looking at how we align our global capabilities with the needs of our clients to ensure they have the right expertise to connect them with opportunities in and out of the key Asian growth markets. Singapore is a key market for our clients and the international capability we will provide from our office in Singapore will help us to connect our clients in Asia to the world and our international clients to Asia,” said Fuller.
King & Wood Mallesons has strong relationships with local clients based in Singapore as well as a range of international clients who are active in the region. The firm has deep sectoral connections in private equity, funds, real estate, infrastructure, oil and gas and technology, media and telecommunications and will leverage its reputation in these areas to grow its client base in the region.
King & Wood Mallesons is currently completing the regulatory processes required by the Singapore authorities, and expects to have these completed and open its office within two to three months.
Source: www.sjberwin.com
