BCLP takes former Ashurst Tokyo head

Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (BCLP) has brought in the former head of Ashurst in Tokyo.

Dominic Gregory, who specialises in banking and finance, is BCLP’s newest partner in Singapore. He brings more than two decades of experience to the firm, adding his expertise in financing in projects, real estate, sovereign and export credit, assets, trade, and restructurings.

Gregory moved from Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom to Ashurst in Hong Kong in 2012 and was appointed counsel. He also worked in the firm’s Singapore office, before being tasked to head the firm’s Tokyo office in 2015.

At BCLP, Gregory will work on matters all over Asia, with a particular focus on Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, and Singapore. The firm said that he will contribute to expanding in Japan and Indonesia, which are key focus jurisdictions for the firm.

Andrew MacGeoch, Asia managing partner, said that Gregory will “play an integral role in growing BCLP’s market share in Asia, especially in lending and project finance.”

“With his cross-border experience, Dominic will significantly contribute to strengthening our Hong Kong and Singapore hub, re-energizing our current services to key regional jurisdictions and clients within the Asian market,” he said.

 “The firm is working on some sizeable mandates across Asia which require debt financing,” Gregory said. “For example, they are instructed on some of the largest transactions in the Taiwan offshore wind industry and a number of hotel, casino and other energy and infrastructure development projects across Asia. I have broad and relevant experience in debt finance work so this is a great opportunity.”

BCLP has 14 partners and 55 other fee earners in Singapore, Hong Kong, and China.

In February, Ashurst lost former London managing partner Simon Beddow to BCLP, where he was appointed to a global role. In March, Crowell & Moring recruited 11 lawyers from BCLP in the US and China for the firm’s Shanghai launch.