Simpson Thacher & Bartlett will open an office in Singapore, with Ian Ho and Tony King named Co-Heads of the Firm’s Asia Private Equity Practice, reflecting their leadership roles and recognized strength in advising sponsors on high‑value, cross‑border transactions in the Asia-Pacific. Both Ian and Tony will be based in Singapore. As part of the expansion, the Firm also added Theodore Heng and Carolyn Wong as new partners, who will be resident in the Singapore office following its launch. Theodore Heng advises global financial sponsors and multinational corporates on the full spectrum of transactional matters, with a focus on complex, cross‑border private equity and M&A deals across Asia-Pacific. He is active across all industries, and regularly acts on mandates in the real asset and infrastructure, as well as technology and services sectors. Carolyn Wong is a seasoned energy and infrastructure specialist, with a focus on advising infrastructure funds and energy majors on complex, cross-border transactions across Asia-Pacific, North America and globally. Her practice focuses on M&A of energy and infrastructure assets, large-scale joint ventures and project development work, drawing on her experience practicing in Singapore, Australia and Hong Kong. Further, to deepen the Firm’s capabilities on the ground, Private Funds Partner Tony Liu will also be based in Singapore to lead the Funds Practice, together with the Head of the Firm’s Asia Funds Practice, Adam Furber. “For nearly 35 years, Simpson Thacher has been deeply committed to Asia. Opening an office in Singapore enhances our ability to support clients across Southeast Asia, and strengthens our capacity to serve clients in one of the world’s most dynamic financial and commercial centers,” said...

Trilegal has added Ashish Teni as Senior Specialist – Insurance & Reinsurance, marking a strategic addition to its insurance regulatory and compliance practice amid India’s rapidly evolving insurance landscape. The appointment reflects the firm’s continued focus on deepening its financial services offerings, as regulatory reforms, new distribution architectures, capital participation by domestic and global investors, and product innovation are reshaping the industry. Ashish Teni is a seasoned insurance regulatory and transactional lawyer with over 17 years of experience advising insurers, reinsurers, intermediaries, emerging insurtech platforms and institutional investors on complex matters within India’s evolving insurance landscape. He is widely recognised for his deep understanding of the regulatory framework governed by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), and has significant experience advising on cross-border reinsurance structures, distribution models, including bancassurance, regulatory compliance and strategic corporate transactions. His practice also encompasses advising on complex claims, regulatory disputes and appellate proceedings. Ashish has been involved in several high-value and strategically significant mandates, including market entry and structuring of insurance and reinsurance businesses in India, joint ventures and investments involving global insurers, and M&A transactions across the life, general and health insurance sectors. Ashish will work closely with partners across practices to support clients on insurance regulatory advisory, transactional mandates and strategic matters. His addition enhances the firm’s ability to advise across the insurance value chain, including licensing and structuring, cross-border reinsurance arrangements, distribution architectures and ongoing regulatory compliance, while delivering coordinated advice across its corporate, regulatory and disputes practices. “Trilegal’s strong institutional platform and its recognised expertise across financial services make it an excellent environment to support clients navigating...

Trilegal has elevated six counsels to the equity-partnership. The newly appointed partners are Abhishek Kumar, Arnav Nagalia, Maitreya Rajurkar, Shashwat Sharma, Shreya Kundu and Thomas J Vallianeth. These additions enhance the firm’s capabilities across Corporate, Real Estate, Dispute Resolution, Capital Markets, White-Collar crime, and Technology, Media and Telecommunications, reinforcing its integrated, full-service offering to clients. This reflects the firm’s continued focus on cultivating leadership from within, and building a future-ready bench across practices. “We are pleased to welcome six new partners, each representing a key area of practice for the firm. Their appointment reflects the diversity and strength of our internal talent pool. We look forward to their continued contribution to the firm and our clients,” said Sridhar Gorthi and Nishant Parikh, Trilegal Partners and Management Committee...

Senior Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer partner Peter Jones will relocate to Singapore from May 1, 2026 to lead the firm’s Asia Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT) practice. He will oversee and expand the firm’s regional TMT offering, which supports clients across technology and digital infrastructure transactions, projects and disputes, commercial contracts, and outsourcing and technology procurement. Currently based in Sydney, Peter has over 30 years of extensive legal experience across the Asia Pacific. He also has significant expertise in cyber preparedness, resilience, simulations and incident response, and will be engaging closely with clients on these critical risk areas. Over his career, Peter has acted for many leading Asian corporates and technology players, including PCCW, Digital Nasional, Singtel, Vodafone Japan and XL Axiata. He has also advised infrastructure investors in, and providers, of data centres, mobile towers, fibre networks, satellites and submarine cable systems. “Our clients’ technology and data needs are evolving as rapidly as the markets in which they operate. Asia’s unique ecosystem is shaped by global hyperscalers, regional digital champions and fast-growing local innovators, all accelerating demand for support across digital infrastructure transactions, technology-enabled commercial contracts and complex supply chain arrangements,” Peter said. “This transformation must be managed within an ever-evolving cross-border regulatory landscape and an expanding cyber threat environment. Our practice is built to meet these challenges and to help our clients maximise opportunities,” he added. Asia Managing Partner Graeme Preston commented, “Today’s technology and digital infrastructure landscape demands legally rigorous, commercially grounded advice on transactions and projects, regulatory challenges and disputes, and mission‑critical technology contracts. Peter’s deep experience and knowledge of the Asia market makes him...

Clifford Chance continues to strengthen its private capital capabilities with the appointment of private equity counsel Charmaine Yeo, who will relocate to Singapore after an initial period in Hong Kong. Having originally practised at Clifford Chance, Yeo returns to the firm bringing extensive experience advising leading private equity firms and other financial sponsors on cross-border M&A across the Asia Pacific, with a particular focus on Southeast Asia. She has advised on significant transactions spanning a broad range of sectors, including healthcare, financial services, digital infrastructure, energy transition and consumer retail. “Clifford Chance has an exceptional private capital platform in Asia Pacific, and a truly integrated cross-practice offering. Having started my career at the firm, I am excited to rejoin at a time when private equity and sponsor-led activity across Southeast Asia and the wider region accelerates with pace. I look forward to working closely with colleagues across the firm to support our clients on their most strategic transactions,” Yeo said. Private equity partner Tom Lin commented, “Growing our private equity team with lawyers of Charmaine’s calibre is critical for ensuring that we remain best placed to support the private capital sector, as it continues to play a transformative role in the global economy. I am delighted to welcome Charmaine back, and we look forward to building on our success...

Maples and Calder has promoted three Partners and an Of Counsel within its Corporate, Funds & Investment Management, and Regulatory practices in Hong Kong. These promotions further reinforce the firm’s commitment to delivering exceptional legal expertise across Asia. The newly-promoted partners are Aidan O’Regan (Funds & Investment Management), Jessica Zhan (Corporate) and Vivian Lee (Corporate). Daniel Moore (Regulatory) has been promoted to Of Counsel. Aidan O’Regan advises on the establishment of open and closed-ended funds established in Ireland, the Cayman Islands and the BVI, including hedge funds, retail funds, private equity, venture capital and real estate funds. He also advises asset managers on their upper-tier structuring and regulatory issues. Joining the firm in 2018, Aidan previously worked in the investment funds group at an Irish corporate law firm. Vivian Lee’s practice covers corporate finance, M&A, securities issues, private equity, pre-IPO restructuring and financing, IPOs and listing of shares of Cayman Islands companies in Hong Kong and the US, and general corporate and commercial transactions. She also advises on debt capital market transactions and general corporate lending transactions. Previously an Associate at Mayer Brown in Hong Kong and Paul Hastings in Hong Kong, Vivian joined the Maples Group in 2018. She is fluent in English, Cantonese and Mandarin. Jessica Xintong Zhan focuses on corporate transactions, including finance, M&A, pre-IPO Series financings and restructuring, Hong Kong and US IPOs, and SPACs involving Cayman Islands and BVI companies. She also advises on debt capital market and general corporate transactions, acting for SOEs, corporates and financial institutions. Jessica joined the Maples Group in 2018. She previously worked for Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP and large corporates in...