| This week’s Insights looked at the prospects of third-party funding in Singapore, what it’s like for a law firm to advise on organisation of the Olympic Games, and one of India’s hot new legal-tech startups. |
| Akin Gump has appointed Michael Joyce as a partner in its global energy and transactions practice in Singapore from Norton Rose Fulbright’s Sydney office. |
| Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton has acted for a consortium led by private equity firms Hillhouse Capital Group and CDH Investments on its take-private offer for Belle International, valuing the Hong Kong-listed shoe retailer at $6.8 billion. |
| K&L Gates has hired Eric Sedlak as a corporate partner in Tokyo from Jones Day, where he was of counsel. |
| Clifford Chance has announced plans to consolidate its Southeast Asia offerings by winding down its Bangkok office over the next 12 to 15 months, and also terminate its Indonesia association with Linda Widyati and Partners (LWP) in Jakarta. |
| OC Queen Street has appointed Dax Lim from Drew & Napier as a director for its corporate and digital business sectors in Singapore and globally. |
| India’s SAM swoops into BMR Legal for corporate haul, Norton Rose announces partner promotions and many more in this week’s Asia Appointments table. |
| Cleary and K&E on $6.8 bln take-private offer for HK shoe retailer Belle, STB and Japanese firms N&A, MHM and AMT on KKR’s buyout of Hitachi unit, and many more in this week’s Asia deals table. |
| Stephenson Harwood has boosted its China ship finance and commercial litigation practices in Shanghai by hiring partner Vincent Xu from Ince & Co and relocating partner Evangeline Quek from Hong Kong. |
| Indian law firm HSA Advocates has welcomed back Mazag Andrabi as a partner in its disputes, regulatory and policy practice. |
| UK firm Osborne Clarke (OC) has expanded into mainland China after adding Shanghai-based firm Zhang Yu & Partners to its international network. |
