International law firm Pinsent Masons and its
associated Singapore law practice MPillay have been granted a Joint
Law Venture Licence by the Attorney-General in Singapore, enabling
the firm to increase its presence in the country.
The new Joint Law Venture will be called Pinsent
Masons MPillay LLP and will operate from this month.
Under the new arrangement, MPillay’s founder and
managing partner Mohan Pillay will become a partner at Pinsent
Masons as well in the Joint Law Venture (JLV). MPillay’s
other equity partner Chris Chong will be appointed Consultant, with
MPillay’s two further partners who will become Counsel in Pinsent
Masons.
The JLV will also be strengthened by two senior
Pinsent Masons lawyers relocating to Singapore: partner Jon Howes,
a top-rated construction law specialist and Wei Yaw Lam, a senior
associate, who will be returning to Singapore. Jon Howes will also
be a partner in the JLV.
Under this unique arrangement, all MPillay partners
will now have a parallel role in Pinsent Masons, enabling them to
work seamlessly where required in any of the firm’s offices outside
of Singapore, in Asia, the Gulf and Europe on Pinsent Masons’
client work.
Chris Mullen, senior partner at Pinsent Masons,
said: "Our relationship with MPillay has been a great success over
the years. Working together, we have even been able to buck
the economic trends experienced in many parts of the world with a
significant increase in client instructions in the region and in
Singapore, in particular. Singapore is an ideal location to service
both local and international businesses and our new joint law
venture will complement and support our well-established offices in
China and work through our strategic alliance with Salans.”
Mohan Pillay, Partner at Pinsent Masons and
Managing Partner of MPillay, said: "The new agreement is beneficial
to both the status of MPillay and Pinsent Masons in Singapore. With
my new role as a partner at Pinsent Masons, I will be able to guide
both firms jointly, and through our new joint law venture, further
developing our world-class practice in the region."
The JLV vehicle provides flexibility and will help
promote collaboration between the firms and to allow them to offer
clients local law advice from a top five Singapore dispute
resolution law firm, in full compliance with local bar
regulations.
Singapore is a fast growing market for Pinsent
Masons in Asia Pacific, and the location has become a gateway to
work in India, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia. Pinsent Masons
MPillay LLP will have a specific emphasis on dispute resolution
services in relation to construction, energy and engineering
disputes. It will be the only JLV in Singapore with such a
dedicated sector focus.
The combined team recently moved to a bespoke
office at 16 Collyer Quay in the heart of Singapore's central
business district, overlooking the changing skyline formed by the
soon-to-be completed Marina Bay Sands 'integrated resort'
project.
The association between the two firms goes back to
2007, and has been highly successful in building an established
client base and a service offering which combined the benefits of
Singapore and international legal expertise as well as the ability
to represent clients in local courts. Many Singapore-based clients
with international operations are now serviced by Pinsent Masons in
other countries.