Global law firm Hogan Lovells has hired international arbitration expert Rob Palmer as a partner from rival Ashurst to boost its dispute resolution practice in Southeast Asia.

Palmer, a former managing partner of Ashurst's Singapore office, brings experience in energy, construction, and infrastructure disputes across the Asia-Pacific region. He has been based in Southeast Asia since 2003.

A Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, the Singapore Institute of Arbitrators, and the Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (ACICA), Palmer has conducted arbitrations before arbitral institutions such as the SIAC, AAA, ICC, LCIA, KLRCA/AIAC, TAI, and BANI. 

"Rob's reputation as one of the leading arbitration lawyers in Singapore and his deep understanding of the Southeast Asia market will be invaluable to our clients," said Biswajit Chatterjee, office managing partner of Hogan Lovells Singapore, in a statement.

With Palmer's addition, Hogan Lovells now has seven partners in its Singapore office. The firm recently experienced the departure of corporate partners Stephanie Keen and Sylvia Taslim, who left to join O'Melveny.