Friday Featured Jobs: Singapore
International law firms and corporations continue to hire across a wide range of practice areas and we have a number of positions in this week’s featured jobs. Every week we post our latest job openings in Hong Kong, Tokyo, the Middle East and other locations where expat lawyers are in growing demand. This week, Singapore:
1. ACG – Insurance – Singapore
An insurance giant, our client has space for a legal counsel dedicated to its consumer product lines. The ideal candidate will have previous insurance experience, though a consumer banking background would also be a match. With a broad remit, you can expect to be involved with a variety of issues. Strong remuneration.
2. Paralegal – Hospitality – Singapore
A paralegal is sought for a well-known brand in the hospitality space. The candidate will assist the legal counsel with day to day matters as well as corporate secretarial duties. This in-house legal role offers good hours and benefits and would suit paralegals looking to move out of a law firm environment, as well as those looking for a transition to a top MNC.
3. Corporate Counsel – Hospitality – Singapore
This household name in the resort space has begun a search for a senior legal counsel. A standalone legal role with paralegal support, this will suit a lawyer with commercial real-estate or previous in-house experience. Nicely budgeted for a senior lawyer, this is a rarity in the present in-house market.
To apply for these and other positions, please visit our job search page at Law Alliance.
We’ve been seeing steady recruiting and appointment activity among foreign firms with offices in the Middle East, with Clyde recently adding partners, Gibson Dunn taking on Dewey escapees, and Diaz Reus and others opening offices from Abu Dhabi to Iraq. Now local firms have gotten in on the act as Bahraini Law Firm Qays H. Zu’bi Attorneys & Legal Consultants has hired the UK’s Rodger Murray to fill the role of Senior Legal Consultant, acxcording to the firm’s latest press release:
“Rodger has over 25 years of international legal experience across a broad range of corporate and commercial sectors. Qualified in the UK (Scotland) and with transactional experience across the whole of the UK as well as internationally, Rodger has an impressive track record covering mergers and acquisitions, banking and corporate finance, projects and joint ventures, funds, commercial agreements and cross-border transactions.
Qays H. Zu’bi, Senior Partner, added: ‘I am very pleased to welcome Rodger to our Firm. This investment will underscore and further develop our strength and depth of experience in the corporate, projects and financing sectors, ensuring our ability to meet the growing needs of our clients in Bahrain and across the region.’”
And be sure to see what law firm jobs are on offer for expat lawyers in Bahrain, Dubai, Riyadh and elsewhere in the Gulf by visiting Law Alliance.
Cadwalader has boostes its Cap Markets team with the hiring Joseph Lee, Jeffrey Maddox and David Neuville away from Jones Day, according to ALB:
“Lee’s practice focuses on corporate finance and securities transactions, in particular Hong Kong IPOs by Hong Kong and Chinese companie, and M&As of listed and private companies.
Maddox specialises in international equity and debt transactions in Asia, his experience ranging from high-yield debt offerings to debt restructurings and issuer tender offers.
Neuville works with Asian issuers and underwriters, his practice focusing on equity and debt securities offerings for companies in North and Southeast Asia.
Commenting on the lateral hires, Rocky Lee, the head of Cadwalader’s Asia practice said in a statement: “Our new colleagues are recognized leaders throughout Asia, and Hong Kong in particular. Their combined expertise, and their experience working together as a team will be a strong asset to the firm as we continue to expand throughout Asia.”
Read the full article and more on Hong Kong moves here…
Meanwhile, Ropes & Gray continues to ramp up its efforts to open a practice in the city by hiring two partners (Julian Chung and Gary Li) away from Norton Rose and Paull Weiss, respectively, and planning the addition of of a local law practice by the end of the month:
“Ropes will acquire its formal licence to practice Hong Kong law on May 28, the day when both new partners are scheduled to start work at the firm.
Chung, who has practised in Hong Kong for 26 years, will help launch the Hong Kong practice. He has represented state-owned enterprises and private companies in China on their initial public offerings and secondary offerings, and worked with international companies listing in Hong Kong. Recently, he advised Brazilian mining company Vale S.A. on its first Hong Kong Depository Receipt listing.
“I am excited about joining the extraordinary attorneys of Ropes & Gray, and working together to build the new capabilities of the Hong Kong law practice to complement the firm’s vast experience with cross-border and international work across Asia and around the world,’ he said about his move.”
Read more at ALB…
Looking to make your move in Hong Kong? Then, have a look Law Alliance and the latest jobs for lawyers in Hong Kong, the PRC and beyond.
Clifford Chance succeeded in a threepeat, as the firm was once again named Middle East Telecom Law Firm of the Year at the TMT Finance Middle East Awards 2012. From the Clifford Chance media center:
“ This is the third consecutive year Clifford Chance has been recognised by this award.
In the last 12 months, Clifford Chance has advised on a number of high-profile groundbreaking deals in the TMT sector. Highlights include:
- Saudi Telecom Company (STC), the largest telecoms operator in Saudi Arabia, on the US$2 billion outsourcing of its directory services business to, and related joint venture with, Aegis
- Mannai Corporation on its acquisition of a 35% stake in Axiom, the UAE-based, pan-GCC mobile handset retailer and distributor
- *Zain KSA on its planned capital reduction and US$1.6 billion rights issue
- *Zain KSA on the proposed US$900 million sale by Zain Group of its 25% stake in Zain KSA to a consortium Batelco and Kingdom Holding
- Zain Kuwait and its group companies on over US$5 billion of debt financings across the Middle East
- STC on its bid for the 3rd mobile licence in Syria
- Etisalat, the UAE’s leading telecommunications company, on its proposed acquisition of a US$12 billion majority stake in Zain, the leading telecommunications company in Kuwait
- PT Natrindo Telepon Seluler (AXIS), the Indonesian based subsidiary of STC, on a US$1.2 billion multi-sourced Shari’a compliant Islamic financing
- continuing to advise American Tower Corporation in relation to their investments in Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
To see what’s on offer at Magic Circle and other firms with offices in Bahrain, Dubai and throughout the Middle East, visit Law Alliance.
Friday Featured Jobs: Middle East
Every Friday we post our latest job openings in Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, the Middle East and around the globe. With an improving economic outlook, we continue to get requests for talented candidates for various legal positions. This week, we have a number of new posts for which we are seeking ambitious legal professionals interested in working in Doha, Qatar:
1. Construction Arbitration – 3yrs+ PQE – Doha
Our client, an international firm that is well established in the Gulf is seeking a contentious construction lawyer for their Doha office. Candidates will be commonwealth qualified and be experienced in construction arbitration. Experience in the Middle East would be highly regarded.
2. Construction – 4 yrs+ PQE – Doha
This international firm is looking for an associate with experience in construction and infrastructure work and a proven track record in litigation and arbitration relating to construction disputes. The successful candidate will be familiar with front end documentation and the major standard forms of contracts used in international construction.
3. Mid-Level IP Associate – 5PQE+ – Doha
This well known international firm is seeking an IP associate to join its growing Doha office. The successful candidates will have a strong record of business development at a similar international firm. Great opportunity to join this exiting practice
To apply for these and other positions in the Gulf region, please visit our job search page at Law Alliance.
Asia Legal Business will hold its Japan Law Awards 2012 in Tokyo June, and things are looking a bit brighter a year after the tsunami:
“Diners Club ALB Japan Law Awards 2012 will be held on 7 June and once again recognises the excellence and outstanding achievements of Japan’s leading law firms and in-house legal teams as well as the top deals and dealmakers of 2011.
The Awards attracts over 200 of Japan’s most influential solicitors, in-house counsel, investment bankers, judiciary and CEOs, who assemble to celebrate with the winners as they accept their awards on stage. The event is the culmination of the months of intensive research that precede this important event. Winner information remains confidential until the awards ceremony itself, where they are revealed over a gala black-tie dinner.”
Once again, many of the usual big name firms are highlighted, and here are some of the major nominees:
International Deal Firm of the Year
Baker & McKenzie GJBJ
Davis Polk & Wardwell
Linklaters Tokyo
Morrison & Foerster
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom
Sullivan & Cromwell
Japanese Deal Firm of the Year
Anderson Mori & Tomotsune
Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
Nagashima Ohno & Tsunamatsu
Nishimura & Asahi
Oh-Ebashi LPC & Partners
Managing Partner of the Year
Baker & McKenzie – Yoshiaki Muto
Davis Polk & Wardwell – Theodore A. Paradise
Herbert Smith – Peter Godwin
Latham & Watkins Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise – Joseph Bevash
Morrison & Foerster – Ken Siegel
Norton Rose – Michael Joyce
See the full list here and visit us at Law Alliance to search for law firm and in house jobs in Japan.
Clyde & Co. have been sorting things out since last year’s merger with Barlow, Lyde & Gilbert, and now they’ve gotten around to bumping 14 lawyers to the partnership and four equity partners to senior equity partners, with six appointments coming in the Middle East, according to the Clyde & Co. Newsroom. The lucky few:
- Richard Bell is based in the Abu Dhabi office, having originally come on board in Dubai. He focuses on general commercial dispute resolution.
- Nassif Boumalhab specialises in dispute resolution and is based in Dubai, having joined Clyde in January 2009.
- Ben Cowling Construction will be in Riyadh, specializing in contentious and non-contentious infrastructure work.
- Sara Khoja is based in Dubai, having joined Clyde in Dubai in January 2008.
- Oliver Tebbit, an aviation finance specialist joined the London office in 2009 and moved to Dubai in April 2011.
- Laura Warren works in construction, projects and infrastructure in Doha, and joined Clyde & Co’s Dubai office in January 2005.
“Clyde & Co CEO Peter Hasson said: ‘These promotions reflect the continuing growth of the firm across all of our core sectors and practice areas, and throughout our global network, as well as the opportunities we can provide to our lawyers for their career development within our now very sizeable business. The promotions, which fully reflect all regions within the firm, are a testament to our international development programme. I am delighted to welcome our new equity partners and to have this opportunity to thank those moving into the senior equity for their outstanding contribution.’”
To see what’s on offer for lawyers in the Gulf, be sure to browse opportunities at Law Alliance.
It’s been clear that there’s been a rise in the legal job market since the truly dark days of 2007-2009, but no one is getting carried away, as every week seems to still bring some bad news for the profession as a whole, especially for younger associates (and let’s not even talk about current law students in the U.S. right now). We first looked at the legal profession’s ”haves” and “have nots” this year when Dewey began to implode, and now we get some cold hard numbers which show that, during a time when scores of attorneys are scrambling for any job they can get, the top tier lawyers are commanding epic rates:
“For those of you keeping track of the legal profession’s equivalent of the one percent: the most expensive lawyers in the U.S. are getting even more costly, while their less-fortunate brethren at the bottom 25% of billers struggle to keep pace with inflation.
It all comes down to who can increase their rates, and who can’t, a subject WSJ explored in this Monday story.
As the $100 billion corporate law industry recovers from some shattering times post-recession, the industry saw its biggest overall rate increase since 2008 — 5.1%, including all partners and associates, according to a new report out today from legal software company TyMetrix and the Corporate Executive Board. And even more lawyers joined the $1,000-an-hour club.
Before the economic downturn, law firms grew profits largely by increasing rates at up to 8% a year. But many firms froze rates or scaled back increases after the crash, and some are still playing catchup.”
To say that U.S. lawyers are trying to “catchup” to $1,000 an hour is likely the understatement of the year, as literally thousands of them would be happy to be approaching $100 an hour…or even have a job!
But, if you’re a mid-level attorney (with fluency in a second language as a big plus), then visit Law Alliance, which has a wide range of firms and companies seeking lawyers in all practice areas.
The Dewey debacle has been dominating headlines in the legal world, not just in the U.S., but worldwide. But, UK firms aren’t having the greatest time of it lately either, as redundancies have been announced at a number of firms, including Shoosmiths and Herbies:
“City law firms have been announcing major redundancy rounds: Shoosmiths has confirmed that 93 of its staff are at risk of redundancy, just a couple of days after Herbert Smith announced that it was looking at making 51 staff redundant.
Insiders at Herbies say that problems have been building up as lawyers hung on to their jobs, despite receiving poor appraisals (as is often the case when tough market conditions mean there are few jobs to move to). The resulting low rates of attrition mean that while there’s a reasonable amount of work around, there are just too many senior associates to service it. So on Monday Herbies announced that 23 corporate lawyers, 5 real estate lawyers and 19 secretaries were for the chop.
At least the firm acknowledged that “it has been a difficult decision which we have taken reluctantly and after much deliberation“. However there was no such contrition at Shoosmiths, where 93 staff in the firm’s consumer legal services arm (largely its volume motor personal injury team in Basingstoke) are at risk.”
Read the rest at rollonfriday…
Don’t worry, there are plenty of jobs out there for the lawyers willing to make the leap and explore working abroad. Have a look at what’s on offer at Law Alliance.