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OCTOBER 2013
Lawyer Moves
19
LatHaM & WatKInS addS taLEntEd caPItaL MaRKEtS PaRtnER In HonG KonG
Latham & Watkins LLP recently announced that Ji Liu has joined the firm’s Hong Kong office as a partner in the corporate department. Liu’s practice focuses on US domestic and cross-border capital markets transactions,
representing issuers and
underwriters on IPos, secondary offerings, Rule 144a/Regulation S offerings and high yield bonds, as well as representing companies on compliance matters under US federal securities laws. Liu also has considerable experience advising on mergers and acquisitions, bank finance and venture capital investments as well as corporate governance matters.
over the years, Liu has developed
particularly deep industry knowledge in the financial services, technology, real estate, mining, pharmaceuticals and food sectors. Liu is a US-qualified lawyer with 16 years of experience studying and working in the United States, almost half of which was in Silicon valley advising on, among other
things, capital markets and M&a matters for fast growth technology companies.
Michael Liu, office Managing Partner of Latham & Watkins in Hong Kong, said: “Ji will be a great asset to our Hong Kong and Greater china corporate practice. He has well developed relationships with leading global and boutique investment banks, chinese companies and sovereign wealth funds in key financial centres in the region. Ji’s arrival marks another significant step forward in building the premier corporate and transactional practice in china.”
“We see significant prospects to further grow our corporate practice in Greater china and asia. Ji’s considerable experience, in particular his track record advising on complex deals with a china-US nexus, will play a significant role in helping broaden our practice in china,” added Bryant Edwards, a corporate partner based in Latham & Watkins’ Hong Kong office.
natHaLIE GaRnIER JoInS tHE LaW FIRM dE GaULLE FLEURancE & aSSocIéS
nathalie Garnier joins de Gaulle Fleurance & associés as Senior counsel in order to strengthen its business law, real estate and finance activities.
nathalie is involved in real estate law, business law (especially in mergers and acquisitions) and financing.
She has in-depth experience in these areas, not only as a lawyer having practiced in an anglo-Saxon law firm in Paris and new York, but also from an operational perspective. nathalie Garnier was European Legal Manager, then General Secretary of a real estate development group specialising in shopping centres, and then moved on to
work as a consultant for overseas investment funds.
nathalie Garnier has developed expertise in group restructurings involving mergers, securities issuances, the creation of shares classes, capital increases and decreases, etc., as well as in joint-ventures, and negotiating and drafting acquisition and shareholder agreements.
She has extensive knowledge of fundamental property development and property acquisitions agreements. She also represents owners to assist them in obtaining the required administrative authorisations (departmental committee for Land, building permits).
SIdLEY addS PRIvatE EqUItY/M&a PaRtnER In daLLaS
Sidley austin LLP announced this month that S. Scott Parel will join the firm in dallas as a partner and member of Sidley’s global Private Equity and M&a practices. Mr. Parel is joining eight of his former colleagues from Weil Gotshal & Manges who have recently moved to Sidley, two of whom also are members of the firm’s Private Equity practice. “We are extremely pleased to further expand our Private Equity and M&a practices with a lawyer of Scott’s caliber,” said Larry Barden, vice-chair of Sidley’s Management committee. “He has built an impressive practice representing several leading private equity sponsors. His strengths complement well those of our existing team of lawyers focused on serving private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies in sophisticated M&a and corporate matters. We welcome him to Sidley.”
Mr. Parel has broad corporate and transactional experience. He focuses his practice on complex corporate and transactional matters, representing private and pension fund sponsors and their portfolio companies in connection with leveraged acquisitions, minority investments, divestitures, joint ventures and restructurings. Mr. Parel is also very active in professional development and pro bono activities, and previously served as co-chair of Weil’s Pro Bono and Professional development committees. He was ranked in chambers USa 2012as a leading corporate/M&a Lawyer in texas.
“Scott is an excellent addition to our outstanding team of private equity lawyers,” said carter Phillips, chair of Sidley’s Executive committee. “He brings deep experience in guiding private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies through the complexities relating to M&a activity, investments and myriad other issues. We are delighted to welcome him to our Private Equity practice, which continues to be an area of strategic growth for us.”