Aparna Sai

Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas (SAM) has advised India’s Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) on its $321 million buyout of the stake held by its partner, Oman’s OQ, in their joint venture Bharat Oman Refineries (BORL). 

Singapore boutique PDLegal has established an India desk with the hire of Lakshman Shankar as a partner. Shankar was earlier a partner at Indian law firm Dua Associates.

Forensic investigations expert Rachel Layburn has joined advisory firm FTI Consulting as a senior managing director in Singapore from WPP, where she was the group head of compliance for APAC.

Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas and Hogan Lovells have advised Indian e-commerce giant Flipkart on its $3.6 billion funding round led by investors such as SoftBank, which was counselled by Cooley.

CMS has recruited finance expert Christopher Whiteley as a partner in Hong Kong from Ashurst, where he spent 15 years. At his new firm, Whiteley will help establish a capital markets and derivatives practice.

The Tokyo office of K&L Gates has hired a team of intellectual lawyers from DLA Piper, including partner Mitsuhiro Imamura.

India’s J Sagar Associates (JSA) has strengthened its banking and finance practice with the additions of Nand Gopal Anand and Pratish Kumar from Juris Corp.

Chicago-headquartered McDermott Will & Emery (MWE) is set to return to Asia after receiving a license to open in Singapore, and also making partner hires from King & Spalding and Squire Patton Boggs.

King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) has strengthened its capital markets practice in Hong Kong with the addition of Corey Zhang as a partner from Clifford Chance.

Rimon Law, a law firm operating on a decentralized, distributed model, has opened an office in Seoul.