Advisory
Alea Consulting opens Mumbai office
India-headquartered risk management advisory Alea Consulting has opened a new office in Mumbai, its third in the country.
MVision hires two managing directors in Hong Kong
Placement agent MVision has hired Michelle Paisley and Dennis Kwan as managing directors in its Hong Kong office. They will join founder and CEO, Mounir Guen, who recently moved to Hong Kong to lead the firm's Asia expansion.
Kirkland & Ellis boosts Asia private funds practice
Kirkland & Ellis has added two partners to its Asia private funds practice, with the promotions of Damian Jacobs and Jonathan Tadd. The firm now has four partners working on fund formation in the region.
State Street names new Asia alternatives head
State Street Corporation has appointed Bob Keogh as head of alternative investment solutions for Asia Pacific. Based in Hong Kong, he will assume responsibility for servicing private equity, hedge fund and real estate managers.
MVision CEO to move from London to Hong Kong
Mounir Guen, founder and CEO of placement agent MVision is relocating from London to Hong Kong in order to lead the firm’s expansion in Asia.
Asia trails the West on operational value-add - survey
Asian private equity firms lag behind their Western counterparts on operational value add, according to a new survey.
OMM’s Collins joins Dechert, eyes new phase in Asia spin-outs
Dean Collins, formerly partner and head of the Asia fund formation practice at O’Melveny & Myers (OMM), has joined Dechert as managing partner of the firm’s newly-opened Singapore office.
Cooley adds fund formation lawyer to Shanghai office
Pang Lee has joined law firm Cooley as a partner in its Shanghai office. He previously was counsel in the asset management group of Shearman & Sterling's Hong Kong office.
Global secondaries deal flow set to break record - Cogent
Global secondary transaction volume for 2014 is on course to break $30 billion for the first time after reaching $16 billion in the six months of 2014, according to secondary market-focused investment bank Cogent Partners.
Ark Alternative hires Shunichi Umino to head LP relations
Japanese placement agent Ark Totan Alternative has hired Shunishi Umino as its head of financial institution sales.
Bain sues Big Four auditor over India kidswear deal
Bain Capital is taking legal action against EY – formerly Ernst & Young – in a US court, alleging that its now worthless investment in India’s Lilliput Kidswear was made on the basis of false financial statements that the accounting firm had audited.
US regulation: Shot across the bow
Private equity has been put on notice by the US regulators - an alarming notion, yet one that was sufficiently well signposted that GPs could see it coming. How keenly will the rumblings be felt in Asia?
Private equity platforms: Matchmakers
Several online platforms have been launched with a remit to make exchanges between GPs and LPs more transparent and convenient. Do they complement existing processes or is fundraising set for reinvention?
TRG’s Kaji moves to consultancy Accordion
Suneel Kaji has left The Rohatyn Group (TRG), where he was involved in private equity and special situations credit investments in US and the Pacific Rim, to become a managing director at Accordion, a US-headquartered consultancy.
Operational value-add: Home-made remedies
Private equity firms, and the LPs, are placing greater emphasis on adding value to portfolio companies. But what is the best way of developing operational capabilities in Asia, and who should pick up the tab?
BlackRock names new Asia head
BlackRock has appointed Ryan Stork as head of Asia Pacific operations, replacing Mark McCombe who will relocate to the US to become the company’s global head of institutional client business and chairman of the alternative investment division.
Fund administrator Augentius hires Asia head
Augentius has appointed Alex Traub as managing director of its Singapore office from where he will manage the fund administrator’s existing client relationships in Asia and take the lead in business development.
Placement agent Monument Group opens in Hong Kong
Monument Group, a Boston-headquartered placement agent with a presence in the US and UK, has expanded into Asia, with a Hong Kong office now in operation. A Tokyo base will follow later this year.
Eaton Partners hires Jackson Chan for Asia distribution
Placement agent Eaton Partners has hired Jackson Chan, previously head of business development for Hamilton Lane in Asia. He will work on distribution of liquid and illiquid alternative assets offerings throughout the region and also assist in origination.
India due diligence: Smoke and mirrors
A number of accounting scandals involving India-based private equity portfolio companies has contributed to the erosion of investor confidence in the country. Due diligence processes are being tightened in response
Alvarez & Marsal promotes Utamsingh to India co-head
Global professional services firm Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) has named Vikram Utamsingh, managing director responsible for its India transactions advisory group, as country co-head.
Singapore vs. Hong Kong: Shifting sands
Fund administrators are seeing increased demand from GPs for back office services in Singapore. Hong Kong isn’t the definitive loser, but the territory’s lack of tax and regulatory certainty for PE is a factor
Accelerated Venture Partners opens in Hong Kong
Accelerated Venture Partners (AVP), a Silicon Valley-based private equity firm, has opened an office in Hong Kong to provide Asian companies with financing and help them go public in the US.
Held to account: The Big Four in China
A legal ruling might ban the Big Four accounting firms’ China affiliates from working on US-listed Chinese companies. VCs aren’t worried about IPO prospects, but there are longer-term concerns