Moves – 3 October 2011

Blake Dawson has appointed Singapore-based George Cooper as a partner in its employment practice to lead the firm’s new regional employment law practice across South East Asia from mid October 2011. He will join the firm from Freehills where he has led its Asia workplace law and advisory practice in Singapore since 2007.

Mallesons Stephen Jaques has appointed two senior legal experts from Simmons & Simmons Hong Kong to add further depth to the firm’s debt capital markets practice in the region. Partner Sau-Wing Mak and consultant Kevin Tong will join the firm’s Hong Kong office as partners on October 2011. Mak is a market leader in the retailed structured products and derivatives field Tong has extensive experience in equity derivative and financial products, retail bonds and capital markets.

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius has appointed Bradley Edmister as a partner in its business and finance practice in New York. A dealmaker experienced in cross-border M&A and capital markets transactions in Japan and elsewhere in Asia, Edmister returns to New York following nearly a decade living and working in Tokyo where he advised leading Japanese and global corporations and financial institutions on numerous prominent M&A and securities transactions throughout Asia. He has handled a number of complex transactions, including a US$8 billion integration for Nomura Securities with Nippon Oil that won Asian-MENA Counsel’s “Asian Deal of the Year 2010.”

Winston & Strawn has appointed Alex Au as counsel in its Hong Kong office. He joins from the corporate department of DLA Piper Hong Kong. Au has extensive experience advising international and local corporations and private equity funds in local and cross-border M&As, private equity, equity and debt financing, corporate restructuring, foreign direct investments, distribution arrangements and other corporate matters in China, Hong Kong, Macau and other parts of Asia.