Offshore firm expands Hong Kong litigation team… Leading US lawyer joins Squire Patton Boggs in Tokyo…
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Baker McKenzie and Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) are involved in one of this year's biggest cross-border acquisitions in Australia.
Baker McKenzie advised Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation in the $4.13bn deal to buy Colonial First State Global Asset Management from The Commonwealth Bank of Australia, which was counseled by HSF.
The unit’s sale follows CBA’s announcement in June that it will demerge its wealth management and mortgage businesses. HSF is also advising on the demerger.
Ben McLaughlin and Tetsuo Tsujimoto were Baker McKenzie's lead M&A partners on the deal. The lead regulatory partners were Toshio Shimada and Masato Honma. The team also included Byron Frost, Satoshi Abe, Lawrence Mendes, Rick Troiano, Antony Rumboll, Dan McGuiness, Bill Fuggle, and Melissa Carmody.
The HSF team advising on the Colonial First State Global Asset Management deal was led by Sydney M&A partner Tony Damian, assisted by senior associates Nicole Pedler, William Chew, Li-Lian Yeo, and solicitor Timothy Coorey. The Sydney funds team included partner Robert Bileckij, consultant Jim Graham, and solicitor Curtis Vella. The Sydney employment team included partner Michael Gonski and senior associates Amanda Lyras and Rommo Pandit.
Damian, who also co-chairs of the firm’s global banks sector group, coordinated lawyers across HSF's network including in London, Tokyo, Frankfurt, Paris, Madrid and Singapore.
Offshore firm expands Hong Kong litigation team
Offshore specialist firm Harneys has hired Julie Engwirda as a partner in its litigation and restructuring practice in Hong Kong.
She joins after two years at rival offshore firm Travers Thorp Alberga in Hong Kong but was previously with Walkers in the British Virgin Islands for ten years.
Harneys’ Hong Kong team now comprises 52 lawyers, including twelve partners, the territory’s largest offshore legal team by far. The firm’s three full-service Asia offices across Hong Kong, Singapore and Shanghai also represent the largest Asia network of any offshore law firm.
Leading US lawyer joins Squire Patton Boggs in Tokyo
The former head of the Japan M&A practice at Davis Polk in Tokyo has joined Squire Patton Boggs in the city.
Mörk Murdock was with Davis Polk for 14 years and has considerable experience acting for Japanese multinationals in the manufacturing and industrial, pharmaceutical and life sciences, and financial and life insurance sectors.
