Clifford Chance will “wind down” its office in Bangkok and will end its Jakarta local association with Linda Widyati and Partners as it focuses on growing its Singapore hub.
The firm will shutter its doors in Bangkok in the next 12 to 15 months, while the local firm association in Jakarta will end later this year.
It is not clear whether the three Bangkok partners and fee-earners, led by office managing partner Fergus Evans, will be asked to transfer to the firm’s Singapore hub.
This decision coincides with the retirement of Linda Widyati and Partners lead partner Linda Widyati.
Clifford Chance regional managing partner Geraint Hughes said: “Our people in Bangkok are talented individuals who have worked hard for our clients. We are very grateful to them for their service and contribution to the firm. We will provide them with our full support as we make these changes.
“We anticipate that the transition period will give us a good opportunity to manage the impact on the team, and ensure we deliver seamlessly to our clients. I’d also like to express our thanks to the LWP team in Jakarta for a productive alliance and wish each of them success in the future.”
According to Clifford Chance, the Singapore office has grown significantly with the number of partners doubling over the past five years. According to figures from The Lawyer‘s upcoming Global 200 2017, the firm currently has 22 partners in Singapore.
Earlier this year, The Lawyer reported that following a period of review, Clifford Chance made a U-turn on its plan to close the Perth office and instead opted to cut back on partners’ equity points.
The Lawyer‘s AsiaPac 150 shows that among the firms that provided regional turnover information, Clifford Chance had the highest revenue per lawyer (RPL) in 2015, at $697,000 per lawyer in Asia Pacific. But that figure is 15 per cent lower than the global average of $802,000.
Per partner, Clifford Chance brought in $3.2m in Asia Pacific last year, slightly less than the global average of $3.5m.
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