London-headquartered disputes boutique Seladore Legal has hired a former Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) lawyer to open a Singapore office. 

Liang-Ying Tan has joined the firm as its seventh partner, all of whom previously worked at HSF. 

An international arbitration specialist, she has spent the past decade at HSF, most recently as a senior associate, and Gibson Dunn & Crutcher in New York. She will relocate to Singapore to lead Seladore’s expansion in the city-state having previously worked at Big Four Singapore firm Rajah & Tann.

“Joining Seladore presents an exciting opportunity to work alongside esteemed colleagues, including many familiar faces, across multiple jurisdictions,” Tan said. “I look forward to returning home to support clients in one of the world’s most dynamic dispute resolution centres, contributing to the firm’s work as we grow in Asia.”

For its part Seladore pointed to Singapore’s growing importance as a global dispute resolution hub, buoyed by the prominence of both the Singapore International Arbitration Centre and Singapore International Commercial Court, as well as the city-state’s increasing popularity among regional high-net-worth individuals. 

The firm was founded in London in 2020 by Simon Bushell, the former head of HSF’s CIS disputes practice, and has since grown to 24 fee earners including Tan. 

Bushell said Tan’s expertise and familiarity with the region and the firm’s culture would be “invaluable assets” as the firm looked to build a presence in Singapore. 

“Her addition strengthens Seladore’s commitment to providing top-tier arbitration services from strategic locations around the world,” he added. 

The firm’s Singapore launch comes just a few months after it marked its first international expansion with the opening of an office in Milan headed by partner Laurence Shore, who overlapped with Tan at HSF and Gibson Dunn in New York. 

Seladore said it intended to “imminently apply” for a Foreign Law Practice Licence in Singapore. 

The city-state’s importance as a centre for arbitration has attracted a number of international firms in recent years, including Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, which launched there in July, and London-based arbitration boutique Three Crowns, which hired legacy Shearman & Sterling’s former Singapore head, Darly Chew, to open there last year. 

Partners in the Singapore offices of firms including Bird & Bird and K&L Gates have also departed to set up their own sets.