MEDIA RELEASE
Allens Arthur Robinson moves into Vietnam
Australian law firm Allens Arthur Robinson (AAR) has decided to establish offices in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. The current Vietnam practice of Phillips Fox will be transferred to the new offices.
Subject to regulatory approval, AAR's offices will commence operations on 1 January 2007.
AAR is one of the largest law firms in Australia. It also has an extensive network in the Asia-Pacific region, with offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, Jakarta, Phnom Penh and Port Moresby.
Both of Phillips Fox's partners in Vietnam, Bill Magennis and Nigel Russell, will join AAR as partners. All of the staff of Phillips Fox in Vietnam will transfer to the new AAR offices, along with all ongoing client matters (subject to client approval).
"After 14 years in Vietnam, Nigel and I are sad to be leaving Phillips Fox" said Bill Magennis, "but we are really looking forward to joining AAR and growing our legal practice in Vietnam. AAR is one of the most highly regarded law firms in Australia.
"Its depth of expertise in areas such as banking and finance, and mergers and acquisitions, together with its strong presence in Asia will help us serve our clients in Vietnam even better".
Tom Poulton, AAR's Managing Partner, said "We are very excited about this development. Our aim is to be the leading law firm in the Asia-Pacific region and expanding into Vietnam is an important part of this process. Vietnam has always had tremendous potential, and never more so than now, as it approaches membership of the WTO and opens more of its economy to private investment".
Further information:
Jim Dunstan Executive Partner Asia (AAR) +61 2 9230 4571
Nigel Russell Partner, HCMC (Phillips Fox) +84 90340 4443
CV: Nigel Russell
Nigel Russell has spent most of his legal career in Vietnam. He was admitted to practice in 1991 and has been working in Vietnam since 1993. During his 14 years working as a lawyer in Vietnam, Nigel has become an expert on Vietnamese law, publishing more than 60 papers on the country's law and practice. Nigel completed a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Economics at the Australian National University in 1989. He then completed his articles with the Northern Territory Department of Law in 1990. After his admission to practice in 1991, Nigel moved to the Sydney law firm of Sly & Weigall (now Deacons). He then decided on a major career shift when he accepted an Australian Government scholarship to study Vietnamese while helping to set up a legal practice in Hanoi. In 1995, Nigel joined Phillips Fox's office in Hanoi and was made a partner of that firm the following year. In 1997, Nigel opened Phillips Fox's Ho Chi Minh City office, where he is still based. He is currently the joint managing partner of Phillip Fox's Vietnam team. Nigel's work in Vietnam includes a string of major projects, including several of the largest property development, infrastructure and manufacturing projects in the country. His clients include BP, BlueScope Steel and Keppel Land. Nigel's areas of legal expertise include property, finance and corporate & commercial. He has been a past president of the Australian Business Group of Vietnam and is a member of the American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam, the Law Institute of Victoria, the RMIT Vietnam Advisory Board and is a director of Sika Vietnam Limited. CV: Bill Magennis
Bill Magennis has worked as a lawyer in Asia for almost 20 years, in Hong Kong, Vietnam and Korea. During this time, he has worked on some of the biggest resource and energy projects in the region. Bill gained a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) from the University of Melbourne in 1972 and completed his articles with the Melbourne firm of Ellison Hewison & Whitehead in 1973. After being admitted in 1974, Bill moved to Phillips Fox and became a partner at that firm in 1978. In 1985, he was seconded for four years to Hong Kong as a partner in the firm D.W.Ling & Co. and Holman Fenwick and Willan. During this time, he was responsible for the work of those firms in banking and litigation in Hong Kong and joint ventures in China. Bill returned to Phillips Fox in Melbourne in 1989. He was Chairman of Partners in 1991-92 and managed several large litigation cases, including acting for the insurers of the auditors of Tricontinental Bank in connection with the Royal Commission investigating the collapse of that bank and subsequent litigation involving the auditors. In 1993, Bill moved to Hanoi to establish Phillips Fox's first office in Vietnam. During his 14 years in Vietnam, Bill has acted as lead legal adviser on some of Vietnam's biggest projects, including for BP on the Nam Con Son gas pipeline and Phu My 3 'BOT' power plant project. Bill's areas of legal expertise include energy, resources, financing, construction, corporate and banking. He is a director of Holcim Vietnam Limited, and a member of the Australian Business Group in Vietnam, the American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam and the Law Institute of Victoria.
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Fact Sheet: Allens Arthur Robinson
Allens Arthur Robinson (AAR) is a leading international law firm that can trace its roots back to 1822.
Operating as a single law firm across Asia for over 30 years, at the forefront of many major transactions and projects in the region.
Consistently ranked as a leading firm by independent surveys such as Chambers Global and Asia Pacific Legal 500
Extensive regional coverage and expertise in Asia will be strengthened further with the addition of highly experienced, market-leading lawyers in Vietnam.
Existing Operations (as of 1 November 2006):
Offices: Bangkok Formal association with Siam Premier International Law Office
Brisbane
Beijing
Hong Kong
Jakarta Formal association with Widyawan & Partners
Melbourne
Perth
Phnom Penh
Port Moresby
Shanghai
Singapore
Sydney
Legal staff: 909 (comprising 179 partners and 730 other legal staff)
Total staff: 1524
New Vietnam Operations (with effect from 1 January 2007):
Offices: Hanoi
Ho Chi Minh City
Legal staff: 16 (comprising 2 partners and 14 other legal staff)
Total staff 35
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