Australian law firm Gadens has closed its Singapore office following its merger with Dentons last year, and the office’s erstwhile managing partner, Marc Rathbone, has moved to Nabarro.

Dentons already has a presence in Singapore after it merged with local firm Rodyk & Davidson, also in 2015.

Rathbone, who set up Gadens’ Singapore office back in 2013, is Nabarro’s second partner-level lateral appointment this year, after the firm hired Matthew Nortcliff as the head of its Asia funds practice from Hogan Lovells.

Rathbone has 25 years of transactional experience, with a focus on the infrastructure, construction and energy sectors in the last 15 years. Prior to Gadens, he was with Clifford Chance in Singapore and, before that, was in-house counsel and commercial manager with CSIRO in the petroleum and mining division.

 “Infrastructure, construction and energy are important components of our practice in Singapore. Marc’s arrival strengthens our transactional team and his experience and profile will be invaluable, particularly in the energy and oil and gas space” said Steven Lim, managing partner of the Nabarro Singapore office, in a statement.

Rathbone’s arrival takes the total number of partners at Nabarro’s Singapore office to five.