U.S. law firm McDermott Will & Emery has continued to expand its newly established Singapore office after hiring four lawyers specialising in investigations and compliance from Sidley Austin, including partners Yuet Ming Tham (L) and Shu Min Ho. Tham will join as Singapore managing partner.

McDermott opened its Singapore office last year, following a year without a presence in the Asian region. Since then, it has expanded rapidly through a series of laterals. First, it hired Ignatius Hwang and Merrick White from Squire Patton Boggs and King & Spalding. Then came the additions of Alfred Chia (also from Squire Patton Boggs), Siddhartha Sivaramakrishnan (from Herbert Smith Freehills), and Clarinda Tjia-Dharmadi as Asia transactions chair (from Latham & Watkins). 

Specialising in white-collar crime and life sciences, Tham was head of Asia-Pacific and Singapore managing partner at Sidley, additionally holding the role of global co-chair of the government investigations and compliance group. She joined the Hong Kong office of Sidley in 2012 from DLA Piper, having been head of the latter firm’s Asia regulatory compliance and investigation groups, and Asia life sciences practice since 2008.

With expertise in the FCPA and anti-bribery compliance, money-laundering regulations and sanctions, data privacy and employment, Tham represents clients on matters involving the SEC, the U.S. Department of Justice, FINRA, as well as Asian enforcement agencies.

Meanwhile, Ho began her career in 2011 at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, joining Sidley in 2019. She has experience leading cross-border investigations, with a focus on bribery, corruption, fraud, embezzlement and other corporate crime, especially in the pharmaceutical and medical device sectors.

Also moving with Tham and Ho from Sidley to McDermott are counsel Sam Johnson and Margaret Huang.

McDermott now has six partners in Singapore following the new hires.