Jones Day strengthens Asia partnership
Jones Day has announced the addition of five partners in Asia with extensive experience related to large infrastructure projects, banking and finance, and energy transactions. James Harris, Julien Reidy, Bruce Schulberg, and Alex Cull will join in Singapore, and Kanyi Lui will join in Beijing.
As the global head of Infrastructure, and regional leader of the Infrastructure, Energy, Resources and Projects practice for Asia Pacific and the Middle East at his former firm, Harris is recognised as one of the world’s leading projects and infrastructure lawyers. Along with Reidy, Schulberg, and Cull, Jones Day adds to its infrastructure projects, finance, and energy capabilities in Singapore, and with Lui’s arrival in Beijing, the Firm enhances its finance and projects practice in China. This integrated team adds to Jones Day’s extensive capabilities providing cross-border and cross-practice advice throughout Asia with a focus on the fast-growing economies of the wider emerging markets region including China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.
“The energy and infrastructure outlook for South and East Asian countries is buoyant with an estimated USD500 billion infrastructure spend over the next 10 years according to an Asian Development Bank report. There has been an exponential increase in private and government investment in these sectors on the back of significant reforms and rapidly growing demographics,” said Sushma Jobanputra, partner-in-charge of Jones Day’s Singapore Office. “The addition of this team demonstrates the Firm’s commitment to the infrastructure and energy sectors, and to the region as a whole.”
“Large infrastructure projects will continue to be a key area driving high-value legal work where clients are best served by multi-practice, multi-jurisdictional teams, with lawyers well-versed in finance, energy, and transactional matters,” said Arman Galledari, the leader of Jones Day’s global Projects & Infrastructure Practice. “With nearly 100 lawyers in our Projects & Infrastructure Practice around the world, our experience spans every continent and includes private commercial projects, governmental concession-based greenfield development projects, and privatization of operational infrastructure assets. This excellent team adds to a strong group of Jones Day lawyers who work with clients as one firm worldwide.”
“We were attracted to Jones Day because of the Firm’s culture and commitment to superior client service, clear strategy, and long-term approach to Asia and Australia, and its leading energy, projects and infrastructure, finance, disputes, and restructuring practices,” said Harris.
Harris will join Jones Day’s Projects & Infrastructure Practice and be based in the Firm’s Singapore Office. In more than 28 years of practice, he has advised on energy and infrastructure projects across a broad spectrum of sectors in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, the UK, Europe, and Australia. He is recognised by a number of independent industry publications as a leading project finance and PPP lawyer. Harris’ experience encompasses energy projects, including petrochemical plants, water/waste and transport related projects (roads, rail, ports, airports), as well as projects involving hotels, resorts, casinos, sporting stadia, and educational facilities.
Schulberg will join the Firm’s Banking & Finance Practice in its Singapore Office. With 25 years of Asian experience, he has been based in Hong Kong, Beijing, and Singapore focusing on regional project financing, general banking and financing transactions, and cross-border investment, with a particular focus on energy and natural resource projects. Schulberg has advised financial institutions, sponsors, and developers on infrastructure development projects and financings across Asia and Asian-based lenders on financings throughout the world. He is fluent in spoken and written Chinese.
Cull will join Jones Day’s Energy Practice and be based in its Singapore Office. As a seasoned energy lawyer with 15 years of experience in Asia covering corporate transactions, project development, operations, and financing in the oil and gas industry, he represents a broad range of clients including national oil companies, oil majors, independents, private equity, traders, and financial institutions having been based in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Perth. Cull’s practice focuses on strategic transactions, joint operations, and commercializing gas through pipeline and LNG project development and offtake arrangements.
Reidy will join the Firm’s Projects & Infrastructure Practice and be based in its Singapore Office. Reidy has been based in Asia for nearly a decade during which his practice has, in particular, covered major projects in Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippines. He has extensive experience advising governments, contracting agencies, multilaterals, project sponsors, and lenders on infrastructure projects across Asia, the Middle East, and the UK. In particular, Reidy has significant infrastructure and PPP experience in the power, transport (roads, rail, sea and airports), and water/utilities sectors.
Lui will join Jones Day’s Banking & Finance Practice and be based in its Beijing Office. On the lender side, Lui regularly advises major Chinese financial institutions, including the China Development Bank, Bank of China, the Export-Import Bank of China, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, and Sinosure, the Chinese export credit agency, as well as international banks and multilateral lenders on complex cross-border financing transactions in some of the most challenging jurisdictions. On the borrower side, he has worked with corporates and sovereign borrowers to secure financing for their most important strategic projects.
