UK-headquartered Withers, which specialises in servicing the private client market, has hired partner Simon Michaels in Singapore from Berwin Leighton Paisner.

This is Withers’ fourth new partner in Asia in 2012, and takes the number of its partners in its Singapore office, which opened in May this year, to three.

Michaels, who will focus on tax and wealth planning, expects to advise Singapore’s growing number of ultra high net worth families and trust companies. Since moving to Asia from the UK in 2009, he has implemented trust and other wealth structuring solutions for high net worth clients and has acted in contentious international trust matters.

Prior to his stint at BLP, Michaels worked at Baker & McKenzie.Wong & Leow in Singapore.

“We are hugely encouraged by how quickly we are expanding in Asia, and are thrilled to be welcoming Simon to the growing Withers team,” said Jay Krause, Withers’ Head of Wealth Planning Asia, in a statement. “Singapore is one of the world centres for private wealth management and someone of Simon’s calibre will accelerate our growth, enhancing our ability to provide quality advice to ultra high net worth individuals and their businesses in Southeast Asia.”

Michaels joins partners Jay Krause and Gez Owen in the Singapore office. Owen, head of the firm’s International Regulatory and Corporate Crime practice, joined Withers from Crowell & Moring in April. The Hong Kong office also saw two new partners this year, namely Rita Ku, who became Withers’ first Chinese partner and Erik Wallace, who was relocated from London to Hong Kong to support the firm’s U.S. tax and wealth planning team.

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