UAE law firm Hadef & Partners has promoted Tim Watkins and Melissa Quai Currie to its partnership in the Dubai office.

Bahraini law firm Zu'bi & Partners Attorneys & Legal Consultants has promoted Eman Omar to its partnership.

Reed Smith has launched its corporate practice in Southeast Asia by hiring Matt Gorman as a partner in Singapore from Stephenson Harwood, where he headed that firm’s Southeast Asia corporate practice.

Malaysian law firm Tay & Partners has elevated Yip Jia Hui and Wong Weng Yew to its partnership, and hired Mohd Khairil Ezane as a partner from Lee Hishamuddin Allen & Gledhill in Kuala Lumpur.

Lee & Lee has hired Christopher de Souza, a Member of Parliament in Singapore, as a partner in its intellectual property and litigation and dispute resolution departments. de Souza joins from WongPartnership.

Subhas Anandan, a senior criminal lawyer and a giant of the Singapore Bar, has passed away. He was 67.

The Singapore International Commercial Court (SICC) was launched on Jan. 5, as the city-state looks to become a global disputes hub.

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher has hired Christopher James (Jamie) Thomas as a partner in Singapore from White & Case.

Allen & Overy has advised the Asian Development Bank on its $100 million to Singapore-listed Yoma Strategic Holdings for investment in infrastructure and logistics projects in Myanmar, with Berwin Leighton Paisner representing the company.