Squire Sanders to open office in Singapore

The Singapore team will be headed by Mr Ignatius Hwang.

Squire Sanders has been granted last week by the Attorney-General's Chambers, to open an office in Singapore.

James J. Maiwurm, Squire Sanders chair and global CEO said: "Singapore is a major commercial center in Asia and has one of the most dynamic economies in the region.

"Singapore provides a gateway to other rapidly growing economies such as Indonesia and India. It is a natural addition to our offices in Tokyo, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Perth in Australia, building upon our strategy to become one of the leading legal service providers in the Asia Pacific region."

The Singapore office will be headed by Ignatius Hwang, and he will be supported by a team of three lawyers. The office will represent multinational corporations, governments and banks on major infrastructure projects including public-private partnership projects, cross-border transactions, international arbitration, financing arrangements and corporate restructurings in Singapore, Asia and the Middle East. The team has a particular expertise in the field of energy, infrastructure and resources.

Hwang says: "I am excited to join Squire Sanders and to have the opportunity to launch an office in Singapore for a global legal practice with real ambition in this market. Singapore is a launch pad for South and South-East Asia, particularly in energy and resources, which is an area of genuine expertise for both our team and across the wider firm.

"Over time we expect to grow the office substantially, particularly in the area of cross-border transactions and international arbitration," he adds.

The launch of the Singapore office is a key component of Squire Sanders' Asia Pacific growth strategy. In February the global legal practice appointed partners Mao Tong and Peter Chow and a team of three other lawyers in Hong Kong and also announced its intention to open an office in Korea.