David Collins, finance partner at Walkers law firm, will be relocated from the Cayman office to Singapore as part of the law firm’s expansion. Walkers also announced the hiring of associate Grace Teo as part of the same Singapore initiative.
“The redeployment to Singapore of someone of David’s calibre is obviously an extremely positive development for Walkers in Asia,” said John Rogers, head of the Singapore finance practice, “and reflects the strong response we have enjoyed from our clients and the market.”
Admitted as an attorney in the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands, Mr Collins joined Walkers in 2002 and became a partner in the Corporate and International Finance Group in 2008.
He previously practiced in the Derivatives and Structured Products group at Linklaters in London, advising leading investing banks on a range of structured finance matters, and also spent a period on secondment at Bank of America in London.
Grace Teo, also admitted as an attorney in the British Virgin Islands, joined Walkers’ Singapore office from the U.K. firm, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP in London, where she practiced in the Financial Markets group, advising leading investment banks on a range of capital market transactions and structured finance matters.
Prior to working at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, Ms Teo was a senior associate with Allen & Gledhill LLP in the Corporate Real Estate department where she advised on real estate investment trusts, acquisitions and divestments for major property companies.
“We are delighted to welcome Grace to our Singapore office where we believe her blend of local and international expertise will prove invaluable to our existing and potential client base,” said Ashley Gunning, the partner heading the Corporate and Investment Funds group in Singapore.
Walkers opened its Singapore office in February 2009 in response to strong demand for Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands legal and corporate services both in Singapore and elsewhere within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations region.
As part of Walkers’ global network, the Singapore office provides an integrated service to clients on the laws of the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands and Jersey.