McDermott appoints Asia transactions chair in Singapore

McDermott appoints Asia transactions chair in Singapore

Following the firm's relaunch in the city-state in 2021, Clarinda Tjia-Dharmadi joins the team

Clarinda Tjia-Dharmadi was previously the co-chair of Latham & Watkins' global power industry group. She is now leading McDermott Will & Emery's Asia transactions practice in Singapore.

After working at Latham for more than 20 years as a partner, Tjia-Dharmadi became a partner at the finance practice of the firm. McDermott's new practice for Energy and Infrastructure will be led by Tjia-Dharmadi, who will serve as part of the firm's project development and finance team.

This appointment follows McDermott's opening of its new Singapore office five months ago, which was lost to Winston & Strawn in 2020 when its Shanghai joint venture office was transferred to it.

Prior to the launch of the new company, McGermott added King & Spalding's infrastructure partner Merrick White and Squire Patton Boggs' former Singapore managing partner Ignatius Hwang. The two firms relocated from London to Singapore in September 2021, when they were joined by a three-lawyer team from Squire.

As a leading lawyer in Indonesia's oil and gas sector, Tjia-Dharmadi has advised clients including oil majors, foreign investors and the Indonesian government on some of the largest projects in the country's oil and gas sector, LNG and petrochemical industry.

Since Indonesia's Independent Power Producer Program was introduced, she has guided sponsors, developers and lenders on various projects in the sector, according to the firm. She also has regional experience in Singapore and Japan, where she has supported US and international clients on multi-jurisdictional structured transactions as well as carried out cross-border joint ventures, M&A and private entity investments.

"Clarinda has exceptional experience driving some of the largest project finance and development transactions in Asia and will play a leadership role in the development of our corporate practice," said Michael Poulos, McDermott's partner in charge of firm strategy. In addition to being a top professional in her area, she will be instrumental in helping our clients attain their business objectives in this prosperous region."

The addition of Tjia-Dharmadi to McDermott's legal staff in Singapore brings the total number of attorneys to nine, consisting of five partners, two counsels, and two associates.

Among the international companies building their energy offering in Singapore recently, McDermott is not the only one. Jon Thursby, a former Watson Farley & Williams partner who specializes in developing and constructing offshore wind and other renewable energy projects, opened the office of US firm Orrick in the city-state in August 2021.

A week earlier, Latham & Watkins picked up Shearman & Sterling, Freshfields, and Freshfields Brinkhaus Deringer as partners to expand its energy capabilities in Singapore.