Legal Week Reports..
UK firm has entered into an association with OC Queen Street in Singapore
Osborne Clarke has secured a presence in Singapore, through an associated firm led by a former Bird & Bird IP partner.
The new offering – called OC Queen Street – becomes Osborne Clarke’s second association in Asia, after the firm tied up with Hong Kong outfit Koh Vass & Co in September last year.
Former Bird & Bird IP partner Chia-Ling Koh is director of the new firm and its first partner.
The office, which is initially focusing on TMT work, is expected to grow this year through lateral partner hires.
Koh’s practice covers IT, data and IP advice for telecommunications companies, global IT businesses, internet search engines and major airlines in Singapore.
Osborne Clarke chief executive Simon Beswick said: “For our international clients, Singapore continues to be an important gateway for Asia and a powerhouse in its own right. Chia-Ling and the rest of the team due to join OC Queen Street bring a mix of sector understanding, legal expertise, commerciality and local market knowledge, which is a great fit for our wider business needs.”
The establishment of the association follows news that Watson Farley & Williams is set to end its Singapore joint law venture (JLV) with local firm, Asia Practice LLP.
In a statement, the firm said Watson Farley and Asia Practice had “mutually agreed” to terminate the venture.
By ending its JLV, the firm bucks the recent trend of international firms gaining local capabilities in the city-state.
In November last year, Herbert Smith Freehills formalised its alliance with local best friend firm Prolegis under a Formal Law Alliance (FLA). Meanwhile, Withers entered an FLA with Singapore’s KhattarWong in February of the same year.
