Nortons switches head in Singapore

A PERSONNEL shake-up at Norton Rose's Singapore office has seen a switch of managing partners and the addition of two new partners.

Jamie Logie, who has been managing partner at the office since 1993, is handing over the reins to international asset finance specialist Paul Giles, who is travelling out to Singapore from London.

The firm has also appointed one new partner from within the Singapore office and imported another from England.

New Zealander Simon Briscoe has been based in Norton Rose's Singapore office since 1995. In line with the lion's share of the office's work Briscoe is an asset and project finance specialist.

Joe Bellhouse is a construction and engineering partner specialising in power and infrastructure projects.

Bellhouse joined the practice in London in 1992, having spent five years in Singapore. He will concentrate on developing the firm's regional infrastructure finance and will also work on the office's related construction practice.

The practice itself has been built up from one partner and three assistants to five partners, assisted by 14 lawyers with a further two in a joint venture in Jakarta. The office has grown particularly quickly in the past 18 months, according to a spokeswoman in London.

Logie, who is returning to London to head the firm's banking industry group, said the office had enjoyed sustained growth throughout his four-and-a-half years there.

He said part of its success was due to its early establishment, in 1982.

"We were among the first to set up in Singapore, so I think that Norton Rose was well recognised in the market when the Asian markets picked up."