Watson Farley & Williams Adds Clarinda Tjia-Dharmadi And Merrick White To Boost Singapore Practice

Watson Farley & Williams Adds Clarinda Tjia-Dharmadi And Merrick White To Boost Singapore Practice

They were serving at McDermott Will & Emery

Watson Farley & Williams has hired leading energy partners Clarinda Tjia-Dharmadi and Merrick White to bolster its practice in Singapore.

Their addition to the firm enhances its capabilities in Asia’s vibrant energy market, considered a highly active sector.

Welcoming the new hires, Henry Stewart, the global energy sector co-head of the firm, stated, “Their experience and expertise across the energy sector is second-to-none and will transform our offering in Asia and be instrumental in helping our clients achieve their objectives in this thriving region.”

A seasoned project development and finance veteran Tjia-Dharmadi joins the firm’s seven-partner global energy sector steering group, charged with fostering increased collaboration.

She will lead the firm’s strategic expansion of energy practice in the Asia-Pacific region, aiming to replicate the success across broader geographies including the Middle East, which recently hired four partners.

For over two decades, Tjia-Dharmadi has advised on power, oil and gas, petrochemicals, infrastructure and mining projects across Asia. She has pioneered innovative project structures in Indonesia’s energy sector, guiding sponsors, developers and lenders in the power and renewables space since its independent power producers program began. She also advised oil majors, foreign investors and government agencies on Indonesia’s significant oil and gas, LNG and petrochemical projects.

She served for 22 years in the energy practice as a global co-chair at Latham & Watkins, and in 2021, joined McDermott Will & Emery.

On the other hand, White has immense experience and a broad understanding of the global energy industry. He focuses on oil, gas, LNG, refining, petrochemical and power project development. His expertise also lies in renewable energy and transition projects, including wind, solar and hydro.

With his chartered chemical engineer background, his joining will enhance the Asian project offerings of the firm, leveraging his 26-year tenure in the region.

Previously, for nine years, White served at Clifford Chance, including three years in Indonesia. For eight years he worked with King & Spalding and for the past three years, was employed at McDermott Will & Emery.

Since 1998, McDermott Will & Emery has been operating from Singapore, having terminated its 2011 joint venture with Asia Practice in 2016. Until then, it was generally managed by shipping lawyer Mei Lin Goh, the longstanding head of its Singapore office, who passed away in 2022.