Akin Gump has added Michael Joyce as a partner in its global energy and transactions practice in Singapore. He joins from Norton Rose Fulbright, where he was head of the oil and gas group for Australia. He has relocated from Sydney, Australia back to Singapore where he was based earlier in his career. Joyce has more than two decades of experience advising on matters involving natural gas and oil value chains. He has also assisted clients with power projects, mining and greenfield infrastructure development. Based in Sydney for many years, Joyce has extensive international experience, having advised on transactions involving more than 20 jurisdictions globally, including on outbound investment from Japan.
Corrs Chambers Westgarth has added Joshua Paffey, one of Australia’s leading infrastructure and projects lawyers, as a partner based in Brisbane. He joins with an outstanding team, which will be based in Brisbane but will continue to work on projects throughout Australia and Asia. Paffey has particular experience advising Korean companies on projects in Australia and throughout Asia Pacific. Working with clients in the energy and resources and oil and gas sectors, he advises on major infrastructure disputes in all formats, including litigation, arbitration, adjudication, appraisal and expert determination.
HSA Advocates has re-hired Mazag Andrabi as a partner to further strengthen its disputes, regulatory and policy practice. Andrabi left the firm in 2015 to practise as an independent counsel and as the assistant attorney general of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. While she has a broad-based disputes practice and regularly appears before diverse courts and tribunals, her primary focus continues to be the regulatory space, with emphasis on the power sector and environment.
K&L Gates has added Eric Sedlak as a corporate partner in the Tokyo office. Joining from Jones Day, Sedlak focuses on energy, infrastructure and resources, project finance and corporate M&A. He has been based in Asia for more than 20 years, having practised in Singapore and Vietnam prior to Japan. He has substantial experience advising on South-East Asian energy and infrastructure projects, and also advises clients on M&A and securitisation deals. Sedlak serves as vice president of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Japan. He also co-chairs the Gaiben Kyokai foreign lawyers association in Japan.
Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas has added Amit Khansaheb as a partner. He joins with a team of five other partners, who were until recently with BMR Legal. Khansaheb brings with him over 18 years of experience. Prior to joining the firm, he has had a long career at Desai Diwanji and spent more than four years at BMR Legal. He specialises in M&A and private equity.
Stephenson Harwood has strengthened its ship finance and commercial litigation practices in Shanghai with the addition of partner Vincent Xu. With more than 15 years of experience both in-house and in private practice, Xu has extensive knowledge of the shipping industry, with a strong focus on non-contentious ship finance and energy matters, including asset and project finance, leasing, restructuring, shipbuilding and offshore construction. He joins from Ince & Co.
