The international law firm has formed a formal law alliance (FLA) with KhattarWong to form Withers KhattarWong.
Withers’ long term ambition is to generate one third of its global revenue in Asia, alongside a third in the US and the remainder in Europe.
The FLA is as close to a full merger as Singapore’s regulations allow, and will build upon Withers’ existing Singapore office, which has been open since 2012 and currently has nine lawyers and six partners.
Withers KhatterWong hopes to provide a range of Singapore, UK, and US legal services to clients as the entire KhattarWong partnership will becomes partners at Withers.
Withers’ Singapore office currently offers tax and estate planning, corporate, crossborder dispute resolution, and arbitration advice. It works closely with the company’s Hong Kong office, which has over 35 lawyers.
KhattarWong currently specialises in banking, finance and property, corporate and securities, criminal litigation, intellectual property and technology, litigation and dispute resolution, and tax and private client. It has over 70 lawyers and was set up over 40 years ago.
Withers managing director Margaret Robertson said the partnership hopes to offer services she currently feels are not “adequately provided” in the Asia market.
Withers Singapore office head, Jay Krause, added: “The creation of Withers KhattarWong follows closely on the launch of Wither SBL, our new alliance in Australia and, taken together, these developments give us a substantially more significant presence through which we can assist clients in this hemisphere.”
Last September, Withers appointed Andrea Luciano as a partner and head of financial services and investment funds at its Milan office.