(February 23, 2015, New York) – Reed Smith LLP today announced that David Adelman, former United States Ambassador to Singapore – who was a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs in Hong Kong and Singapore – has joined the firm as a partner in New York. He will travel regularly to the firm’s Asian offices.
“We are delighted to add Ambassador Adelman to our practice. He first became known to us in 2012, when we opened our Singapore office,” said Sandy Thomas, Global Managing Partner of Reed Smith. “As U.S. Ambassador, he assisted in opening our Singapore office, and we continued to follow his successes when he moved to Goldman Sachs’ Hong Kong office. We believe David’s experience, reputation and stature in the region will be instrumental in the continued development of our Asian presence.”
At Goldman Sachs, Adelman led a team focused on Asian regulatory and political matters. He was appointed to the Singapore Capital Markets Committee and the Executive Committee of the Hong Kong Treasury Markets Association. He was recently elected a governor of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong. He is a recognized champion of U.S. business expansion in Asia.
“Reed Smith is a global firm with a great history in Asia. The firm is especially well positioned to meet client needs arising from increasing trans-Pacific trade and investment,” Adelman said.
Adelman’s experience will benefit current and new clients in diverse industry sectors, including Asian businesses expanding their investments and operations, Asian investors seeking alternative investments in the United States and Europe, and American firms in Asia seeking government affairs and trade-related advice.
“David’s depth of knowledge about trans-Pacific trade and investment issues, his network of contacts, and his stature add an important dimension to our cross-border advisory and dispute-resolution capabilities,” said Kyri Evagora, Chair of Reed Smith’s Energy & Natural Resources Industry Group. “His arrival benefits our entire platform, including our offices in the United States, where capital-flows from Asia are growing, and he puts us ahead of the curve as Asian markets continue to open.”
In addition to his experience as a diplomat, Adelman brings to Reed Smith two decades of legal experience in the energy and telecommunications industry, and insight into the real estate development, life sciences, and media and communications markets in Asia.
“David has been a key player as American and European pharmaceutical companies and medical device manufacturers made large investments in Asia over the past five years,” said Carol Loepere, Practice Leader of Reed Smith's Life Sciences Health Industry Group.
“A strong intellectual property rights regime and government policies, together with spending in support of the life sciences, have made Singapore the Asian headquarters for Western pharmaceutical and life sciences businesses.”
During Adelman’s time as U.S. ambassador, U.S. corporate investments in Singapore reached an all-time high, making Singapore the leading destination of American investment in Asia. Adelman was also a leader promoting exports in Asia, leading trade missions to India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar and Vietnam.
Adelman will work across practice groups with an emphasis on energy and natural resource matters. Reed Smith’s Energy & Natural Resources Group has more than 120 lawyers worldwide, with particular depth in Houston, Washington, D.C., Pittsburgh, Chicago, London, New York, Singapore and Hong Kong. Its lawyers represent many of the world’s leading energy producers, traders – including trading houses – and banks, lenders and entities involved in energy-related infrastructures.
“David brings to our firm an extensive network of Asian business leaders, in-house counsel, individuals and institutions seeking advice and counsel about investment opportunities in the United States and Europe, as well U.S. and European entities seeking advice and counsel about trade and investment in Asia,” said Doug Wood, Reed Smith’s New York Managing Partner. “He increases our capabilities across all key strategic practice groups and throughout the entire Reed Smith global platform.”
About Reed Smith
Reed Smith is a global relationship law firm with more than 1,800 lawyers in 25 offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Founded in 1877, the firm represents leading international businesses, from Fortune 100 corporations to mid-market and emerging enterprises. Its lawyers provide litigation and other dispute resolution services in multi-jurisdictional and other high-stakes matters; deliver regulatory counsel; and execute the full range of strategic domestic and cross-border transactions. Reed Smith is a preeminent advisor to industries including financial services, life sciences, health care, advertising, entertainment and media, shipping and transport, energy and natural resources, real estate, manufacturing and technology, and education. For more information, visit reedsmith.com.
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