The Lawyer reports………
Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) has named litigation partner Alastair Henderson as its new South East Asia head, with incumbent Michael Walter due to retire from the firm next year.
Henderson, who heads the firm’s regional arbitration practice, became a partner at HSF legacy firm Herbert Smith in 1999, having first joined the firm in Hong Kong in 1993. Between 1997 and 1999 he was an associate with Ashurst in London.
Michael Walter
Michael Walter
Earlier this year Singapore-based Henderson was left as HSF’s only litigation partner in the jurisdiction when then South East Asia litigation chief Maurice Burke quit for Hogan Lovells (4 February 2014).
The firm’s Asia managing partner Mark Johnson said in a statement that Henderson is “a true expert in the region having spent more than two decades in Asia, and before moving to Singapore was head of our Bangkok office”.
Walter, who was previously head of legacy Herbert Smith’s corporate practice (15 December 2004), relocated to Singapore in 2012, when he succeeded Austin Sweeney as head of South East Asia (1 June 2012).
He will remain in Singapore until his retirement, focusing on client work and practice management.
Having started his career at Stephenson Harwood, where he headed the corporate practice from 1993 to 1997, Walter joined Herbert Smith 17 years ago.
