New office will further strengthen the firm's foothold in Asia
Clyde & Co has announced plans to open an office in Bangkok, Thailand through the hire of Ian Johnston and Sorawat Wongkaweepairot, who both join from Kennedys.
The new office will further strengthen Clyde & Co’s foothold in Asia and the expanding ASEAN region – establishing the firm in an increasingly important trading and insurance hub.
Through its Bangkok office – which will open subject to regulatory approval – the firm plans to provide insurance advice to local and international insurers and reinsurers, as well as litigation services on Thai disputes, arbitration services on international and Thai disputes.
“The Bangkok market is a vital one for our regional and global insurer clients as well as many energy, construction, and transportation client,” said Simon McConnell, partner and chair of Clyde & Co’s APAC board, Hong Kong. “The team has two decades of experience operating in the Asian market. Joining Clyde & Co as part of our bold growth strategy will enable them to work together with our leading practitioners across ASEAN, for the benefit of their practices and our clients.”
Johnston, who joins as a partner, is an international arbitration specialist with extensive dispute resolution experience and has worked in Asian markets for over two decades. He has strong expertise representing insurers, energy companies, developers, construction professionals and contractors in disputes in Asia and beyond the region. Wongkaweepairot will join as a legal director.
“All of us are hugely excited to join Clyde & Co,” said Johnston. “We know the firm as a premium brand for insurance not just in Asia but globally, and we hope to be able to take full advantage of the opportunities of this global dimension for our clients.”
The planned expansion is the latest international growth for Clyde & Co this year following the announcement of a permanent presence in Chile in August, and Calgary, Canada in October. Last year the firm announced office openings in Vancouver, Canada; and in Phoenix, Las Vegas and Denver, US; and Munich, Germany. The firm first opened in Asia Pacific in Hong Kong over 40 years ago.
