Australia’s Blake Dawson Waldron sent out a press release yesterday…
Saying that they will be opening an office in Singapore to strengthen the firm’s Asian presence and provide a springboard for existing regional work.
Here’s the release in full…
The new office will ensure that Blake Dawson is well placed to support its offshore clients. The move is a natural extension for the firm’s market-leading Hotels, Tourism and Gaming Practice which will lead the firm’s expansion into South East Asia. The decision to establish a Singapore base was in response to growing client demands and work flow within the region.
The new office is expected to begin operating in January 2009 and will be run by Rhonda Hare, a leading partner within the Hotel and Property team who has extensive regional experience.
Commenting on the overseas move, Blake Dawson Managing Partner John Carrington said: "The Singapore office will support our regional strategy of providing high quality advice in specialist areas to leading Australian and international companies as they grow their operations in Asia."
"The opening of the Singapore office demonstrates our commitment to support our clients throughout the region," Mr Carrington said.
The International Practice Leader of the Hotels, Tourism and Gaming Practice, John Stawyskyj, said: "Blake Dawson was the first law firm in Australia to establish a fully integrated national Hotels, Tourism and Gaming legal practice."
"Today, we run an internationally acknowledged practice, which already extends into the region. Opening an office in Singapore was a logical step to ensure we are able to provide on the ground service to our regional clients," Mr Stawyskyj said.
Rhonda Hare will initially be joined by two lawyers from the Hotel and Property team, Rhiannon Barnard and Ari Fox.
ALB has also reported on the development , adding:
Earlier this year, as part of its commitment to liberalising its legal market to support its financial services sectors, Singapore’s Ministry of Law announced the introduction of a Qualifying Foreign Law Firm (QFLF) licence, whereby five selected foreign law practices will be allowed to practise Singapore law in permitted areas and employ Singapore-qualified lawyers. QFLF applications are being accepted.
Currently, foreign law practices are only permitted to practise Singapore law through a Joint Law Venture with a domestic Singapore law firm.
And, while Blakes may have missed the boat on a QFLF licence- the government is rumoured to be well on the way to deciding the five foreign law firms- watch for the firm to look to lateral hires and maybe even a JLV of its own to shore up its market position in 2009.
Full report at http://au.legalbusinessonline.com/news/breaking-news/31580/details.aspx
