Latham & Watkins opens in Singapore

Los Angeles firm Latham & Watkins is launching its new Singapore office on 16 December.

Joseph Bevash, a partner in the firm's Hong Kong office, is moving to Singapore to head up the office and will be joined by three to five other lawyers, all working initially in the project finance area.

Joseph Blum, head of the firm's London office, said: "We have a lot of clients in Singapore and it makes sense to service them out of Singapore." The office will provide a focus for the firm's regional project finance practice.

The firm has worked on a number of large deals in the region including the US$1.9bn Hub power project in Pakistan and the US$2.56bn Paiton project in Indonesia.

The firm already has offices established in Tokyo and Hong Kong, and has recently expanded rapidly in other parts of the world.

Last month, it took on Bernard Nelson from White & Case in London to head its capital markets practice in the capital. It now has 15 lawyers in the City. Its Moscow office, with 13 lawyers, has also grown quickly.