Advisory
Japan's Mizuho to buy M&A advisor Greenhill
Boutique investment bank Greenhill, arguably best known in private equity for advising on LP and GP-led secondary transactions, has agreed to an acquisition by Japan’s Mizuho Financial Group.
Jefferies hires Dennis Kwan to lead Asia secondaries advisory
Dennis Kwan, formerly of Chinese private equity firm Harvest Investments Management and placement agent MVision, has joined boutique investment bank Jefferies to lead secondaries coverage in Asia.
BDA recruits Asia secondaries specialist
BDA Partners, a global boutique investment bank that focuses on Asia, has entered the private capital advisory (PCA) space with the appointment of secondaries specialist Dominik Woessner.
Put a bow on it: India draws funds to GIFT City
India has created an onshore jurisdiction with offshore characteristics to lure country funds currently domiciled in Singapore and Mauritius. Does GIFT City have staying power?
Goodwin adds investment funds partner in Singapore
Goodwin Proctor has recruited Matthew Nortcliff as a partner in its investment funds practice in Singapore, adding headcount to an office that opened towards the end of last year.
Allegro agrees take-private of Australian law firm
Allegro Funds has agreed to acquire Slater & Gordon, a Melbourne-headquartered law firm that trades on the Australian Securities Exchange, at a price that equates to a market capitalisation of around AUD 77.6m (USD 52.3m).
Alvarez & Marsal expands PE coverage in Australia
Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) has appointed Timo Schmid as a managing director and head of its newly established private equity performance improvement practice in Australia and New Zealand.
Bain & Co appoints new Asia PE practice co-head
Bain & Company has named Sebastien Lamy, who has been with the firm for over 20 years and most recently focused on Asia infrastructure investment, as co-head of its regional private equity practice.
Labour shortages: Tales from north and south
Australia and Japan are facing extreme labour shortages. In the former, GPs can survive on policy support and emergency manoeuvres. In the latter, fundamental strategy shifts are a more immediate imperative
Allen & Overy adds fund formation partner in Shanghai
Allen & Overy has strengthened its Asia Pacific funds and asset management group with the appointment of Daisy Qi as a partner based in Shanghai.
Campbell Lutyens recruits Suvir Varma as Asia chairman
Suvir Varma, formerly head of Bain & Company’s financial investor practice in Asia Pacific, has been appointed chairman for Asia Pacific at placement agent Campbell Lutyens.
Q&A: Morgan Stanley Investment Management’s Patrick Reid
Patrick Reid, a UK-based managing director for alternatives distribution management at Morgan Stanley Investment Management, plots the future of themes around secondaries, longer holds, and hybrid approaches to PE
LPs’ ESG checklists get ever more intricate – AVCJ Forum
LPs want more nuanced emissions measurement from their portfolio managers, the AVCJ ESG Forum heard.
GP selection: Discriminating customers
Sizeable LPs are hardening their criteria for fund commitments in reaction to a tougher investing environment. But going with fewer, deeper relationships is an uphill climb
Q&A: Mayer Brown's Soumitro Mukerji
Soumitro Mukerji, a partner in the banking and finance practice at Mayer Brown in Singapore, explores potential drivers of increased fund finance activity in Asian private equity
ICI signals growing climate agenda in Asia PE
Initative Climat International (ICI), a private equity community dedicated to stemming global warming, has launched an Asia Pacific chapter, signalling a growing regional commitment to climate issues.
Ex-EQT partner wins funding for Asia ESG services platform
Tak Wai Chung, who until early last year was a Singapore-based partner at EQT, has secured funding for a pan-Asian platform that will provide software solutions to corporates that need to meet environment, social, and governance (ESG) requirements.
Placement agents: Asian entries
Asia’s sparse placement agent scene is fleshing itself out despite macro headwinds, but the model is being revised to adapt to a changing market. This appears irreversible
Clifford Chance poaches Asia funds partner from Kirkland
Clifford Chance has bolstered its Asia private funds offering with the recruitment of Liyong Xing, formerly a partner at Kirkland & Ellis.
Emerging Asia start-ups: Governance revisited
Even a modest cooling off from tech investment euphoria experienced in the peak of the pandemic could reveal big cracks in Asian start-up markets. Diligence efforts are ramping up, but is it enough?
Asia PE firms must get smart, integrated on due diligence - Bain & Co
GPs must take a more comprehensive and integrated approach to due diligence in Asia if they are to find ways of driving operational improvement in companies and justify lofty entry valuations amid mounting economic uncertainty, according to Bain & Company.
Rede opens Hong Kong office, appoints Asia head
Placement agent and fundraising advisor Rede Partners has opened an office in Hong Kong and appointed Charles Wan, formerly of Atlantic Pacific Capital, as Asia head.
Blue Owl recruits Pak-Seng Lai from UBS
Blue Owl Capital, a US alternatives manager expanding its Hong Kong operations, has hired Pak-Seng Lai, a managing director at UBS, to head its Asia Pacific private wealth business.
US GP invests $30m in Australia's Protecht
US venture capital and private equity firm Arrowroot Capital has invested AUD 42m (USD 30m) in Australian enterprise risk management software and services provider Protecht Group.
