Offshore law firm Walkers says it has seen burgeoning growth in its insolvency and corporate recovery practice, especially in Asia.
To provide more resources to Asian-based clients, Walkers has appointed Guy Locke (pictured), global head of Walkers’ insolvency and corporate recovery group, as head of Asia.
Walkers has also strengthened its corporate and finance presence in Jersey.
"Asia is an important market for Walkers’ corporate and financial restructuring group and we have recently expanded our capabilities in this field to maintain the high level of responsiveness and client service on which we have built our reputation," Locke says. "This coordination between Asia based practitioners and ourselves is crucial to insolvency related remedies. I am looking forward to assisting our Asia based team in taking our industry leading practice to even greater heights."
Locke specialises in corporate restructuring and contentious insolvency, as well as matters arising out of distressed investment vehicles.
Carol Hall, the head of Walkers’ investment funds group in Hong Kong, has been named managing partner of the firm’s Hong Kong office. A specialist in hedge funds and private equity funds, Hall has been based in Hong Kong since 1999. She will assume the role of managing partner from Hugh O’Loughlin, who will head up Walkers’ Jersey office in the summer as the firm continues to expand its finance and corporate group in Europe.
As managing partner for Jersey, O’Loughlin will leverage his experience in asset finance, capital markets, structured finance and private equity matters to meet the increasing requests from Walkers’ clients for expertise in these areas.
Further strengthening Walkers’ finance and corporate practice in Jersey is the lateral appointment of partner Nigel Weston, who joins from Mourant du Feu & Jeune. Weston, who is admitted in Jersey and the Cayman Islands will co-head Walkers’ finance and corporate group in Jersey alongside partner Alexandra Corner, who is based in both Jersey and London. He brings to Walkers 18 years of post qualification experience and specialises in investment funds, corporate, banking and finance work.
Neil McDonald will join Walkers’ Jersey office as an associate in the finance and corporate group. He joins from Slaughter and May in London and specialises in corporate and merger and acquisition work, equity capital markets, asset management, and private equity.
"Our expansion in Jersey allows us to provide greater support to our clients throughout Europe and around the world who are involved in complex cross-border transactions that require Jersey, Cayman Islands or BVI law,” says O’Loughlin. "Working hand-in-hand with the other offices of the Walkers Group, the expanded team in Jersey brings significant additional expertise at a time when many organisations and institutions are looking for new options in financing and asset management.”
