O’Melveny & Myers has made a double partner hire in Singapore from Hogan Lovells to bolster the US firm’s M&A practice in Asia.

The new arrivals – Stephanie Keen and Sylvia Taslim – bring significant pan-Asia transactions experience, specialising in strategic M&A and private equity. Keen’s practice focuses on leveraged buyouts, cross-border deals, M&A, equity offerings and corporate restructurings, advising corporations, lenders and mid-market private equity sponsors. Taslim’s practice focuses on similar areas, including joint ventures, public takeovers and venture capital investing, with a particular expertise in energy-related M&A.

O’Melveny chair Bradley Butwin said: “[Keen and Taslim’s] private equity and M&A practices align with our global platform, as well as our clients’ needs in Asia’s evolving business landscape. Many of our clients have a significant – and growing – presence in Singapore, and the rise in South and Southeast Asia transactional activity has led to greater demand for advisors of Stephanie and Sylvia’s calibre. Our clients will immediately benefit from their experience and talent.”

Keen arrives after 18 years at Hogan Lovells, where she was managing partner of its Singapore office and head of private equity Asia and regional corporate head for Southeast Asia. Prior to that she spent two years as an associate at Fried Frank, having started her career at Ashurst.

Keen said: “We’re excited by this opportunity to play a key role in the ongoing expansion of O’Melveny’s globally integrated M&A and private equity teams. O’Melveny renowned for its lawyers and superior client service, but the firm also has a client-centred vision for an interconnected Asia offering that makes it ideal for our clients and our practice.”

Taslim, meantime, joins after three-and-a-half years at Hogan Lovells, having been promoted to partner at the start of this year. She was previously a senior associate at King & Spalding and an associate at Clifford Chance before that, having started her career at local Singapore firm Allen & Gledhill.

Taslim added: “We were also drawn to O’Melveny’s commitment to growth in key markets, including the firm’s focus on expanding its platform for M&A and private equity matters in Asia. The firm’s culture of collegiality and collaboration sealed our decision to make O’Melveny our new home.”

In other recent regional moves, Skadden this month hired Sidley Austin’s former global arbitration, trade and advocacy group co-head Friven Yeoh to lead Skadden’s international litigation and arbitration group out of Hong Kong and Singapore. And last month, Morrison & Foerster lost four partners in Singapore to Baker McKenzie and PRC firm Jingtian & Gongcheng, including MoFo’s Singapore managing partner Shirin Tang.