Clifford Chance has announced plans to consolidate its Southeast Asia offerings by winding down its Bangkok office over the next 12 to 15 months, and also terminate its Indonesia association with Linda Widyati and Partners (LWP) in Jakarta.
The firm will focus its Southeast Asia practice via its Singapore hub. According to regional managing partner Geraint Hughes, the decision is being led by client demand. “Our clients are increasingly ambitious; their sights are set regionally and beyond. They increasingly want fast, flexible access to a deep bench of world-class expertise,” he said in a press statement.
“Concentrating our South East Asia resources and capability in our existing regional hub in Singapore, investing in systems and innovation that will further enhance our service to clients, and using leading local law firms in each jurisdiction, ensures we are best equipped to respond to this demand.”
Clifford Chance opened its Thailand office in 1996, and that currently has 26 lawyers, including partners Fergus Evans, who serves as office head, Andrew Matthews and Joseph Tisuthiwongse. It is unknown what will happen to these lawyers, but Hughes said that they would be provided “with our full support as we make these changes.”
The firm entered into an association with LWP in January 2014. The decision to terminate the alliance coincides with the retirement of LWP’s lead partner Linda Widyati, the statement said.
Clifford Chance has been in Singapore for more than three decades now. In 2008, the firm was among the first batch of six to receive Qualifying Foreign Law Practice licences from the Singapore government. In 2012, it registered as a Formal Law Alliance with Cavenagh Law under the name Clifford Chance Asia.
