Norton Rose hires Ashurst partner to bulk up in Singapore

Norton Rose has bolstered its energy practice with the hire of Ashurst partner Ashley Wright to lead its Asia Pacific oil and gas team in Singapore.

Wright joined Ashurst’s Singapore office in January 2007 from Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy, where he had been an associate.

Norton Rose Singapore office head Jeff Smith said: “Ashley will be instrumental in further developing our energy practice and in particular taking forward our oil and gas business in Asia Pacific. We have a busy and growing Indonesia practice and Ashley’s experience, having worked and lived in Indonesia will be highly valued by clients.”

Wrght added: “Norton Rose has an exceptionally strong reputation globally in the energy sector, and is developing a fantastic legal network in all the key energy markets. I was particularly attracted by the strength of the Indonesian practice and the quality of clients and work undertaken by the energy team in Asia Pacific.”

Norton Rose has increasingly targeted the Asia Pacific region as a growth area throughout 2010 after the firm’s tie up with Australian firm Deacons - which created Norton Rose Australia - went live at the start of the year.

Since then, the former head of Deacons’ commercial dispute resolution practice Peter Cash has relocated to Singapore where he has been joined by former Linklaters counsel Anna Tipping who now leads the insurance team in the jurisdiction as a partner.

Wright’s departure comes at the end of a year in which Ashurst has also continued to build its Singapore office. Philip Thompson relocated to the jurisdiction in May to lead the energy practice, while January saw the hire of corporate partner Keith McGuire from Allen & Overy.