Reed Smith bolsters aviation finance practice as Hui Ling Teo joins as Partner in Singapore

Reed Smith bolsters aviation finance practice as Hui Ling Teo joins as Partner in Singapore

With the addition of Hui Ling Teo as a partner, Reed Smith intends to "significantly" expand its network of associates across Asia.

Reed Smith has hired Hui Ling Teo as a partner from Milbank to strengthen its aviation finance practice in Singapore, the latest in a series of hiring made by the top 30 US firms to expand its footprint in Asia.

Hui Ling Teo had been with Milbank for seven years and is now part of the Reed Smith's transportation practice. Earlier she has worked with Stephenson Harwood and Baker McKenzie Wong & Leow. She is an expert in leading deals in excess of $2.8bn, with a background in big portfolio trading and financing, M&A, restructuring and insolvency, and alternative investment structures.

"Hui Ling is another excellent appointment for our company in Asia in an area that represents one of our business's fundamental competencies, mainly transportation and asset finance," said Kyri Evagora, Reed Smith's Asia-Pacific managing partner.

With four locations in the region—Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing—and more than 150 lawyers, the Pittsburgh-based business claimed that its Asia partner headcount had increased dramatically since the beginning of last year. Simon Spells, formerly of Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, is one of the new hires in Singapore. He is in charge of the firm's aviation practice in Asia.

Spells proclaimed that Hui Ling was already the undisputed leader in its industry. It is expected that "her skillsets will prove to be a major value to our customers," as she has "advised on some of the finest deals in the profession over her career to date."

Teo continued, "The transportation staff at Reed Smith is among the greatest in the entire globe." Its worldwide reach and collaborative culture are both outstanding. I'm excited to be a part of this team and to contribute to the continued success of the aviation practice here in Asia.

To attain $1.44 billion in revenue and a profit per equity partner (PEP) of $1.74 million in 2021, Reed Smith reported revenue growth of 9.6percent and 13.4percent, respectively.

Considering Singapore's increasing prominence as a financial and legal hub, the firm's most recent hire in the city is not surprising.