Singapore launch builds Beachcroft’s global muscle

The move into Singapore marks a change in emphasis, with Beachcroft looking to build its core practices internationally.

Senior partner Simon Hodson said the move was in response to client demand. “We’re not seeking to expand arbitrarily across the globe, but rather to establish a credible and competitive capability in selected jurisdictions to service the requirements of our client base,” he said.

The firm will relocate longstanding partner Ben Nicholson later this month, with a view to opening an office in February.

“I’ve been doing South East Asia for 10 years,” Nicholson said. “Traditionally, it’s been a jurisdiction for construction and energy risks, but there are many new business lines coming out. We feel we need to be there to carry on what we’re already doing.”

Nicholson’s practice will be aligned with the firm’s London international risks group which has already expanded recently, adding partner Mark Sutton from Reynolds Porter Chamberlain.
Beachcroft has been cautious about its international expansion programme to date, concentrating instead on its domestic practices.

The firm acquired new offices and a volume group through the acquisition of KingsLegal in May 2009, pushed forward development of its top-end London insurance group by ­acquiring Williams Holden Cooklin Gibbons in April 2010, and last year launched a healthcare practice in Manchester on the back of a raid on Halliwells.

Internationally, the firm opened in Dublin last year and has an alliance with ­Indian firm Khaitan Jayakar Sud & Vohra (The Lawyer, 19 January 2009).