K&L Gates has launched an office in Singapore and appointed former DLA Piper partner Kevin J Murphy to head the corporate practice.
Murphy will manage the new office’s corporate and restructuring practice, and bring his longstanding clients to the firm. Murphy said that despite the impact of the financial crisis in Singapore, the new office had long been on the cards. “The firm had been planning to open a Singapore office for some time and did not believe the recent economic crisis should change those plans. Unlike many firms, 2008 was a good year for K&L Gates and I anticipate 2009 to be a very good year for the Singapore office,” he said.
In addition to Murphy, the office will also employ corporate partners James Chen, Sin Khai Tan and Choo Lye Tan, who will be supported by lawyers from the firms’ London office on transactions.