Clifford Chance News

Squire Patton Boggs continued the expansion of its commodities and shipping capabilities with the addition of partner Kate Sherrard into its Financial Services Practice. She joins the firm from Clifford Chance where she was Head of the Asia Pacific Maritime and Offshore Group and is accompanied by senior associate Bernice Chia.“When we launched our commodities and shipping group last year we set our sights on creating one of the premier practices in the market,” said Steve Mahon, global managing partner – clients and strategy.

This would be only the second mainboard IPO in Singapore this year. Singapore's IPO market lacklustre in recent years, but oil and gas related offerings find favour in Singapore. A major operator of maritime support vessels controlled by Malaysia's richest man is seeking up to $380 million in a Singapore IPO - a boost to the city-state's stock market which has seen just one other mainboard listing this year. The deal from PACC Offshore Services Holdings (POSH), the largest Asia-based international operator of support vessels for offshore oilfields, comes as Singapore's IPO market has struggled in recent years. Most big-ticket listings in Asia opt for Hong Kong where there is more robust demand from Chinese and international investors.

Technip appoints John Harrison to its Executive Committee as General Counsel. In this newly created function, John Harrison will as General Counsel be responsible in the Executive Committee for all group legal, corporate and compliance matters and will report to the Chairman and CEO of Technip, Thierry Pilenko. Prior to his appointment and since 2003, John Harrison was General Counsel of the Defence and Security Division of EADS. Harrison brings international experience to Technip having started his career in 1991 at the international law firm Clifford Chance, working consecutively in their London, New York and Paris offices. From 1998 onwards he held senior legal positions in Airbus and in the EADS Group.