Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has hired two partners, Gavin MacLaren from Allens Arthur Robinson and Mark Plenderleith from Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy, as part of efforts to beef up its energy and natural resources practice in the region.

MacLaren (pictured), who will be based across a number of Asian offices, is experienced in mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and project development work, with a specific focus on the energy and natural resources sector.

Meanwhile, Plenderleith will be based in Tokyo, where he has worked since 2006.  He is expected to support Japanese clients in their overseas investments, as well as boost the firm’s broader Asian energy and infrastructure project finance capability.                                                                                            

 

“These two appointments, in addition to the new partners elected recently in the region, indicate how important the Asia markets are to the firm,” said Freshfields’ Asia managing partner Robert Ashworth in a statement. “Specifically, Gavin and Mark will increase the strength and depth of our specialist capabilities in the energy, natural resources and infrastructure sectors in the Asian region and substantially boost our client offering in what is a fast growing market.”

Freshfields recently promoted twenty lawyers to partner, including four in China. MacLaren and Plenderleith’s arrivals take the total number of partners in Asia to 35. ALB

Ranajit Dam is Southeast Asia Editor at ALB. Follow him on Twitter: @RanajitDam_ALB.

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