Ince loses global insurance head to rival but have senior APAC partners followed?

One senior partner has exited Ince & Co ahead of a potential merger of the international firm with UK listed Gordon Dadds and it looks like two from Asia Pacific are also set to go.

Ince’s global head of insurance Joe O’Keeffe has joined Stephenson Harwood in London as a partner in the marine and international trade practice.

Along with this confirmed move, we understand that two senior partners from Asia Pacific are also leaving Ince for Stephenson Harwood in the coming months.

Singapore regional managing partner John Simpson will be leaving the firm in May 2019, while regional finance head Martin Brown will leave next month.

Two partners will be running Ince’s Singapore office following Simpson’s departure: Maureen Poh and Devandran Karunakaran.

Allens advises on winning bid for Victorian title services
The contract to operate Land Use Victoria’s land titles and registry services concession has been awarded to First State Super.

The firm was advised by a team from Allens led by partner Jeremy Low and including partners and other lawyers from M&A, Technology, Media & Telecommunications, Banking & Finance, IP, Tax, Real Estate,

Competition and Employment teams, advising on all aspects of the transaction.

First State Super’s winning $2.86 billion bid for the 40-year term follows its successful bid last year to operate similar functions in NSW for a 35-year term.

Ashurst partner appointed to the board
Global real estate practice partner Sarah Sivyour has been elected to the board of Ashurst.

She joined the firm as a trainee in 2000 and alongside her practice acting for UK and international investors and developers with a particular focus on corporate real estate transactions and international joint ventures, she is also training principal in London and sits on the firm’s risk committee.

Ashurst’s board now comprises Ben Tidswell (London), managing partner Paul Jenkins (London/Sydney), Barbara Phair (Sydney), Bernd Egbers (Munich), James Marshall (Sydney), Karen Davies (London), Sarah Sivyour (London), and chief financial and operating officer Jan Gooze-Zijl (London) and independent board members David Turner and Robert Gillespie.