Fast growing international law firm Dibb Lupton Alsop (DLA) yesterday announced that it was acquiring the offshore practice of leading Singaporean firm, J Koh & Co. The move sees the transfer of a team of corporate and commercial lawyers from J. Koh moving over to DLA.
Leading the Singapore team of seven lawyers are Desmond Ong and Tandip Singh, previously top partners with the Singaporean firm. Both partners are relinquishing their Singapore practicing certificates in order to join DLA's international team.
Leading the Thai team is Chulapong Yukate and comprises the whole of J. Koh's Thai office of four lawyers and support staff. Chulapong's acreer has seen him be a partner with Deacons, Of Counsel with Clifford Chance and lawyer with Colin Ng & Partners.
The move comes at a time of general change in the region's legal community as many of the larger securities focused firms from the US and Europe scale down while smaller international firms build up local, corporate practices. "The enhanced team in Singapore and the new office in Bangkok builds upon the recent opening of an office in Shanghai and the expansion in Hong Kong, which saw the acquisition of 19 lawyers from Cameron McKenna," said Stewart Crowther, Regional Managing Partner of DLA in Asia. "DLA's commitment to Asia is plain to see as we have almost doubled our size in the region in the last two months. I am delighted to welcome all the new members to DLA and confident they will make a significant contribution to our continued development in both the Asian region and greater China."
As part of the move Ong will become the new Office Managing Partner for South East Asia at DLA in Singapore. He joins existing DLA partners Mike Melwood Smith and Peter Shelford in the Singapore office.
