Harneys is to open of its seventh office in Singapore on 7 April 2014, while Colin Riegels, head of Harneys’ banking and finance practice group, will relocate from Hong Kong to Singapore and will be joined by Hong Kong funds partner Lisa Pearce.
Peter Tarn, chairman of Harneys’ executive committee, said: “Singapore is a key jurisdiction in terms of cross-border capital flows and private wealth in South East Asia. Harneys’ Asia practice has experienced explosive growth over the last couple of years, and I have every confidence that [Riegels] and [Pearce] will be able to build upon that success story in Singapore.”
Harneys’ Asia managing partner, Jonathan Culshaw, added: “[Riegels] and [Pearce] are extremely well regarded offshore practitioners and they have been a key part of our recent success in Asia. [Riegels’s] knowledge of British Virgin Islands’ law, developed over more than a decade’s practice in the jurisdiction, is unmatched in Asia whereas [Pearce] is one of the region’s most commercial and experienced offshore funds experts.
“Singapore is a market which makes extensive use of both offshore holding company and fund structures, and naturally complements their strengths.”
The office will open with six lawyers, including Allen & Overy Singapore alumni corporate Counsel Shari Hawke and finance Senior Associate Richard Griffiths. It will offer the full complement of offshore transactional services.
