O'Melveny raids White & Case for Singapore launch

Los Angeles-headquartered O'Melveny & Myers is to open an office in Singapore after taking two finance and restructuring partners from White & Case.

Bertie Mehigan and Huey Yann Thong, who were based in White & Case's Singapore office, will lead the O'Melveny team along with transactions partner David Makarechian and counsel William Miller, who will relocate from the US.

The move will be a further blow for White & Case's Asia practice, which also recently lost senior restructuring partner Mark Fairbairn to O'Melveny in Hong Kong.

The new Singapore group will focus on finance, restructuring and distressed investment, private equity, M&A and capital markets.

O'Melveny chairman Arthur Culvahouse said: "Singapore is one of the most important financial and commercial centres in Asia.

"The combination of our existing leadership in China and Japan with a strong practice in Southeast and South Asia marks a significant milestone in the realisation of O'Melveny's vision for Asia."

The new office adds to the firm's outlets in Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Tokyo.