Duane Morris & Selvam has added Gerard Hekker as a director in its Singapore office and as a partner in San Francisco. Previously a partner in Sidley Austin’s Singapore office, Hekker has worked in Asia for more than two decades and is also a former counsel with Skadden Arps in Singapore. Hekker concentrates on cross-border capital markets, M&A and telecommunications, media and technology transactions, and has particularly deep experience in Indonesia and other Asean markets. His capital markets experience includes representing issuers and underwriters on Rule 144A and Regulation S global offerings, as well as US-registered offerings of debt and equity securities. Hekker has advised public and private companies in Asia, the US and Europe on transactions in a wide range of industries. Hekker is admitted in California and England and Wales, and is a qualified foreign lawyer in Singapore.
Economics Law Practice has added Stalwart Devnath as an equity partner to further grow and expand its tax and litigation practice. A highly regarded name within the litigation practice and Indian legal circles, Devnath has 22 years of experience and is an AOR, while also regularly appearing in matters before the Supreme Court of India. He joins the firm with his expert team of Vivek Sharma and Abhishek Anand from the litigation sector, as partner and associate partner, respectively.
Orrick has added Mark Lehmkuhler as a partner in the M&A and private equity group, resident in the firm’s Hong Kong office. He focuses on M&A and private equity transactions, debt restructurings and other complex cross-border transactions. Lehmkuhler is deeply experienced in the technology, energy and infrastructure, and private equity sectors, having advised some of the most sophisticated companies and investors in inbound and outbound activities in Greater China and Southeast Asia. He previously practised in Asia for nearly two decades with Davis Polk, where he was a partner. While at Davis Polk, he led the firm’s corporate team on a number of high-profile and groundbreaking transactions, including CITIC Capital’s US$890 million going-private buyout of AsiaInfo-Linkage, DLF’s sale of the Aman luxury resorts chain, and Kerry Group’s US$950 million sale of its QGX coal mine to Mongolia Mining.
Stephenson Harwood has strengthened the arbitration practice of its Singapore alliance with the addition of Timothy Cooke as a partner. Cooke’s practice is focused on international commercial arbitration, based predominantly in Southeast Asia. He brings more than 17 years of experience advising clients in the region in a broad range of disputes, often involving complex, cross-border matters and particularly in the fields of energy and infrastructure, construction and finance, as well as joint venture and other investment disputes. Cooke joins from Morgan Lewis Stamford.
