White & Case has appointed Ken Hawkes as a partner in its Singapore office. Hawkes, who will join the firm’s global project finance practice, joins from Hogan Lovells where he was head of the firm’s banking and finance practice in Singapore.

Considered one of the region’s foremost project finance lawyers, Hawkes's practice focuses on cross-border project financing where he advises sponsors, lenders and others on their financing needs, particularly in the area of independent power projects.

The appointment brings the number of partners in the firm’s Lion City office to ten. White & Case was one of only six international law firms to be granted a qualifying foreign law practice (QFLP) license in 2008. The license allows the firm to practice Singapore law (through locally-qualified lawyers in its employ) in certain areas.