With a view to better serving existing clients, and also tap into the region’s booming energy and infrastructure sectors, Pillsbury is opening an office in Abu Dhabi, its 15th worldwide.

Ambitious Vietnamese firm VILAF recently strengthened its growing practice by promoting a senior associate to partner, apart from two other recent additions.

Indian law firm Trilegal recently acted as transactional lawyers on behalf of U.S. paper giant International Paper, in the latter’s acquisition of a majority stake in Andhra Pradesh Paper Mills (APPM). The transaction, with a total deal amount of $432 million, was the largest of its kind in India’s paper industry.

Singapore’s status as one of Asia’s two major legal hubs has received a further boost in the past few weeks, with Mayer Brown JSM opening its local office on Oct. 17, and Japanese firm Mori Hamada Matsumoto announcing plans to follow suit fairly soon.

Demonstrating its Islamic finance expertise, Linklaters recently advised on the issuance of 3.749 billion riyals (about $1 billion) worth of sukuk, or Islamic bond certificates, by Arabian Aramco Total Services Company (AATSC) in a transaction that represents the first-ever Sharia-compliant greenfield project sukuk.

Months after forming an alliance with local firm Hammad, Al Mehdar & Co, Simmons & Simmons has further demonstrated its commitment to the Saudi Arabia market by hiring Islamic finance expert Ahmed Butt from Hogan Lovells.

Eversheds has appointed Winnie Ng, former consultant with Minter Ellison, as head of employment law at its Hong Kong office.