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K&L Gates and Australia’s Middletons to combine
The partners of global law firm K&L Gates LLP and Australian national firm Middletons have voted unanimously to combine firms effective January 1st, 2013. The addition of Middletons’ 300 lawyers and four offices – in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, and Brisbane – extends K&L Gates’ global reach to more than 2,000 lawyers in 46 offices across five continents. The combined firm will run under the K&L Gates name. The firm, which also recently announced an office in Seoul, will employ full financial, operational, and technological integration, as well as unitary global governance and a single approach to partner compensation. K&L Gates Chairman and Global Managing Partner Peter J. Kalis and Middletons National Managing Partner Nick Nichola stated “By their resoundingly affirmative votes, our partners have boldly seized the future by aligning our business with the businesses of clients in an era of intense consolidation and globalisation. With the largest integrated network of law offices and law partners of any global law firm, our clients will be able seamlessly and efficiently to access top-notch legal resources around the corner and around the world.” |
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O’Melveny opens in Seoul
O’Melveny & Myers LLP has received final approval from the Korean Ministry of Justice to open an office in Seoul, the firm’s 16th office worldwide. Korea practitioners Jinwon Park and Sungyong Kang will be residents of the Seoul office, with Los Angeles-based partner Joseph Kim, Head of O’Melveny’s Korea Practice continuing to oversee the Korea practice. O’Melveny has been actively representing Korean clients in a variety of sectors, including antitrust and patent litigation. “With so many of our attorneys working with Korean clients, we are excited to open our Seoul office to provide the space and technology to connect our Korean clients even more closely with our attorneys around the globe,” said Kim. |
Bird & Bird’s China Chair takes up residence Bird & Bird’s Justin Walkey has relocated from London to take up residence in Hong Kong to Chair the firm’s China operations. Justin has been with Bird & Bird for over 20 years and is a long-standing member of its Global Board. He is also founder of the firm’s renowned Sports practice and has wide-ranging experience of the corporate, commercial and regulatory aspects of the media, sports and entertainment industries. Walkey said: “In addition to focusing on growing our presence in China, I will also work closely with Alban Kang, Managing Partner of ATMD Bird & Bird in Singapore, to spearhead Bird & Bird’s growth plans for the Asia Pacific region.” |