CMS Snaps Up Morgan Lewis Duo in Singapore
Singapore
CMS has recruited two construction litigation partners in Singapore from Morgan Lewis Stamford.
Kelvin Aw and Lynette Chew join CMS Holborn Asia, the global firm's formal law alliance in Singapore. Both advise on litigation and arbitration in the construction, engineering and infrastructure industries.
Aw and Chew have worked together since 2007, starting from local firm Harry Elias Partnership (which merged with Eversheds Sutherland in June of last year). Both made partner at the firm in 2010.
The pair were part of a seven-lawyer team that split from Harry Elias in 2010 to start construction, infrastructure and projects boutique Inca Law. Both Aw and Chew stayed with the firm after it was absorbed into local firm Stamford Law in June 2013, and after its merger with Morgan, Lewis & Bockius in April 2015.
CMS has been growing rapidly in Asia since 2016, when the firm merged with U.K. firms Nabarro and Olswang.
The firm gained a Singapore presence with Nabarro and Olswang’s legacy offices in the city-state. In September— a few months after the merger was completed—CMS formed a formal law alliance with seven-lawyer boutique Holborn Law, which had a non-exclusive association with Olswang, giving the firm local law capability.
More recently, CMS has been expanding in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong office was opened in 2016 with arbitration partner Nicolas Wiegand and counsel Olga Boltenko; Boltenko left earlier this year to Chinese firm Fangda Partners as a partner and launch an investor-state arbitration practice.
In May of this year, CMS entered into an association with Hong Kong law firm Shirley Lau & Co, a seven-lawyer corporate practice launched by former Troutman Sanders partner Shirley Lau. Three months later, another seven-lawyer insurance team from Reynolds Porter Chamberlain joined the Hong Kong associate firm.
CMS, which has offices in Shanghai and Beijing, is also on the lookout for an association or alliance in China, executive partner for global development Duncan Weston told The Asian Lawyer last year.
Related Stories:
Spotlight: CMS's Business is Booming in Asia—With a Little Help From Germany
CMS Becomes Latest Big Firm Heading to Singapore
CMS Forms Hong Kong Law Association With Firm Formed by Troutman Sanders Lawyers
