Charles Russell Speechlys has bolstered its Litigation and Dispute Resolution practice with two lateral hires. Partners Richard Kiddell and Alim Khamis join the firm’s London and Qatar offices, respectively. Kiddell is a highly regarded disputes lawyer with over two decades of experience (principally at Hogan Lovells) handling complex, high-value commercial disputes across multiple jurisdictions and involving several parties and laws. He has counselled his corporate and private individual client base through countless arbitration proceedings under various institutional rules, including the London Court of International Arbitration, the International Court of Arbitration, the Singapore International Arbitration Centre, the DIFC-LCIA and the Dubai International Arbitration Centre, as well investment treaty proceedings under the rules of the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes. Kiddell’s experience of courts in jurisdictions including the BVI, the USA and Saudi Arabia, coupled with his understanding of international arbitration in emerging and developing markets, means he forms an integral link across the firm’s international offices. On the other hand, Khamis is a dual-qualified lawyer in Australia and Canada, specialising in construction disputes, with a focus on domestic and international arbitration. Throughout this career, he has worked across multiple jurisdictions, and project managed large international teams from specialist disciplines on arbitrations spanning Asia, the GCC and Australia. With over a decade of experience acting for clients in high-value disputes within the construction, infrastructure and energy sectors, Khamis has gained invaluable sector knowledge and best...

Seyfarth has added Kathryn Weaver, a highly regarded leader in the field of international employment law, as a partner in Hong Kong to head the firm’s regional cross-border employment practice. Weaver is qualified to practice in England & Wales and Hong Kong, and has extensive experience advising multinational employers on all of their Asia-Pacific HR-related law needs, including employment law, immigration, data privacy and benefits. She advises employers on the full range of employment issues they face in Hong Kong, and seamlessly handles cross-jurisdictional work across the Asia-Pacific region. Leading employers around the world look to Weaver for practical, holistic and comprehensive strategies for all their labor and employment needs in the Asia Pacific. Her experience as in-house counsel for global companies in the financial services, technology and retail sectors gives her keen and well-rounded insight into what clients require from their external employment...

HFW has continued to grow its global disputes practice with the hire of Kevin Warburton in Hong Kong. His practice spans international arbitration, commercial litigation, regulatory investigations and inquiries, and privacy/cyber. Warburton joins from Tanner De Witt, where he was a partner and Head of Arbitration. He was previously at Slaughter and May in London and Hong Kong. Warburton has advised a range of clients, both in Hong Kong and internationally, from private and listed companies, financial institutions and high net worth individuals to entrepreneurs and multinational organisations. He is qualified in Hong Kong, the BVI and English law, and can advise on litigation matters in these jurisdictions. In addition to having experience in commercial litigation and arbitration proceedings, including in front of HKIAC, ICC, LCIA and other arbitral institutions, Warburton also has experience in regulatory and internal investigations, and data privacy and cybersecurity...

K&L Gates Straits Law, the Singapore office of K&L Gates, has added Joan Lim-Casanova as a partner in the litigation and dispute resolution practice. She joins the firm’s Singapore office from Cavenagh Law, where she provided litigation representation in a Formal Law Alliance with Clifford Chance. Lim-Casanova has extensive experience in contentious work and dispute resolution, with an emphasis on commercial litigation and international arbitration, representing and advising Chinese, Singaporean and multinational clients in the resolution of high-value and complex disputes in sectors including infrastructure, power generation, renewable energy and insurance. Fluent in Mandarin and English, she spearheaded Cavenagh Law’s China practice, regularly acting for and advising Chinese private and state-owned entities to manage and avoid disputes across Asia. Lim-Casanova regularly collaborates with a team of lawyers from different countries, and practices to assist clients to achieve resolutions which are commercially...

HFW has also continued its growth trajectory in Australia with the hire of leading shipping lawyer Ashwin Nair. He specialises in shipping, admiralty and marine insurance, acting for shipowners and charterers and their P&I Clubs and other insurers of marine risks, with a particular interest in the offshore energy and commercial fishing industries. Nair joins the firm’s Perth office from maritime boutique Cocks Macnish, and previously spent three years as a Claims Executive at The Shipowners’ Club based in their Singapore office. His practice covers a range of marine casualty management, disputes and litigation, and advisory and transactional work. Nair regularly advises on marine casualty and risk management, including as to their multi-jurisdictional regulatory, civil and criminal aspects. He also has an active practice in shipping and commercial disputes and litigation, and related regulatory and transactional...