DFDL Mekong has hired Rashane Leerabandhu, the Thai head of Herbert Smith’s corporate & commercial practice to join its Bangkok office as a partner.

Ashurst has promoted three partners in the Middle East with effect from 1 May 2011. This is part of a larger round of global partnership promotions, numbering 12; up one from 11 last year.

Norton Rose has promoted banking of counsel Joanne Emerson-Taqi and corporate finance senior associate Dino Wilkinson to the firm’s global partnership in a 15-strong promotion round that includes seven females.

Watson Farley & Williams has promoted senior associate Andrew Nimmo to be the 10th partner of its Singapore office.

Mori Hamada, Clifford Chance and local player Okuno have all played lead roles in the financing deal connected to the restructuring of Japan Airlines (JAL) – the largest Japanese insolvency case of a non-financial sector company.

Following an exhaustive research process involving a record number of submissions from law firms and in-house legal departments this year, ALB is proud to announce the finalists for the ALB SE Asia Law Awards 2011, the most important event on SE Asia's legal calendar.

Senior partner in Clyde & Co's global aviation group, Jim Edmunds, has left the firm – taking senior Clyde associate Anthony Frances with him – to help launch UK aviation specialist firm Gate and Partners in Dubai.

Ashurst has laterally hired Simmons & Simmons disputes lawyer Gareth Hughes to join the firm’s Hong Kong office with immediate effect. He will be Ashurst’s first litigation partner in Hong Kong and only the second disputes partner the firm has in the Asian region.

A subsidiary of the second largest coal producer of Indonesia, Adaro Energy has inked a US$400m senior loan facility from a syndicate of 12 banks to refinance existing debts and capital expenditures. The loan secured has a maturity period of seven years – the longest tenor of any major financing to date in the Indonesian market.

The Tokyo office of Simmons & Simmons has laterally hired Hogan Lovells projects lawyer Simon Barrett to join the firm as a partner with immediate effect.