Linklaters declares new Singapore Management

Linklaters declares new Singapore management

In the office's senior role, Melvin Sng succeeds Christopher Bradley, while Jonathan Horan takes over as national managing partner

Singapore's Linklaters office, which has more than 100 lawyers, has announced new management.

Melvin Sng, a lawyer in dispute resolution, has been named as the office's senior partner. Jonathan Horan, who has expertise in capital markets, has been named as the office's managing partner. His appointment is effective on May 1.

Sng will serve as Linklaters' senior partner for Southeast Asia, which includes focusing on expanding the firm's relationships with clients and key stakeholders. Sng will also work closely with Horan, who leads Linklaters' Southeast Asia strategy.

In addition, Sng has been responsible for Linklaters' dispute resolution practice in Asia and co-head of the firm's restructuring and insolvency practice in the region since 1999, when he joined the firm from Simmons & Simmons.

As national managing partner, Horan will serve four years and succeed Christopher Bradley, who has served in that capacity since 2016 and will retire in the near future after 25 years at the firm.

Horan is a partner in the firm's capital team and has worked across Asia over the past 15 years. Prior to joining Linklaters in Singapore and Hong Kong, he worked at Herbert Smith Freehills. Underwriters, issuers, investors and trustees come to him for advice on a range of capital markets products and Linklaters says he's working on developing digital securities assets, advising board members on Asia-based digital offerings and securities providers on platform-based offerings.

The firm's Asia executive committee, which helps guide and shape the firm's strategy in every continent, will also be led by Horan while he serves as national managing partner.

A partnership was created within the firm's investment funds practice by the addition of Joel Seow from US rival Morgan Lewis & Bockius in Singapore in January.

Silke Bernard, Linklaters' global head of investment funds, said at the time that Seow would be useful to the firm in developing a strong investment fund practice in Asia, complementing Linklaters' regulatory, corporate and finance practice to meet client needs and provide best-in-class service.

Chambers Asia-Pacific ranks its Singapore office first in banking & finance, capital markets, employment, corporate and M&A law.

Linklaters hired Seow just a month after hiring former China practice leader Betty Yap from Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison and Carl Fernandes from Latham & Watkins to expand its private equity and financial regulators groups in Asia. Fernandes, who initially joined Linklaters' financial regulation practice in London, will move to Asia after re-joining the firm's financial sponsor group in Hong Kong. Yap moved back to Linklaters to co-head its Hong Kong financial sponsor group.

Ashurst's Tokyo M&A and Asia insurance sector leader Tracy Whiriskey also joined Linklaters last month to strengthen the firm's corporate offering in Japan.