UPDATE: Martin David, previously Ince's Asia-Pacific energy head, will be joining Baker & McKenzie.Wong & Leow. More to follow.

Ince & Co has named John Simpson as the managing partner of its Singapore office after his predecessor Richard Lovell and Mohan Subbaraman, head of its local alliance firm, left for Reed Smith.

The loss of Subbaraman, who helped set up the alliance back in 2011, is expected to be a blow for Ince’s strategy to have Singapore as a base for its shipping and insurance practices. Incisive Law currently has 10 lawyers.

"As part of Reed Smith's strategy to seek a Formal Law Alliance in Singapore in the near future, the firm hopes to be joined by senior practitioner Mohan Subbaraman from Incisive, part of Ince & Co’s Formal Law Alliance in Singapore, and market leading insurance and marine casualty partner Richard Lovell,” Reed Smith said in a statement.

“Since opening in Singapore in 2012, Reed Smith has continued to expand its South East Asia practice in line with global expansion and has grown to 19 lawyers [including nine partners], particularly in the areas of energy and natural resources, shipping, international arbitration, finance and restructuring. No date has been confirmed for either Richard or Mohan's arrivals and Reed Smith has no further comment to make at this time.”

Apart from the appointment of Simpson, Ince & Co has also relocated Harry Hirst, the firm’s Asia head of Admiralty, from Hong Kong to Singapore, and promoted Devandran Karunakaran to partner.

“Singapore is a strategically important location for our clients, particularly those in the shipping sector. We have a total of 13 partners and 30 other fee earners specialising in shipping across Asia. With the addition of Harry and Devandran, we have four partners and five associates specialising in the sector in Singapore alone,” said Simpson in a statement.