Baker Botts has hired experienced energy partner Katie Chung from Norton Rose Fulbright in Singapore, as the Houston-headquartered firm builds out its arbitration capabilities in Asia.
Chung brings 20 years of experience handling high-stakes, Asia-related disputes across energy, infrastructure, technology and other key sectors. She leaves NRF after 15 years, having been successively promoted through the ranks to make partner in 2021, in part due to her practice spanning Asia’s key jurisdictions and industries.
Prior to joining NRF, she articled and qualified with Michael Hwang Chambers.
She sits regularly as an arbitrator in ICC, SIAC and HKIAC arbitrations seated in Singapore and Hong Kong, and is well known for her work with the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR. She is a member of the AAA-ICDR’s Singapore committee and the executive committee of the Asia-Pacific Forum for International Arbitration. She also contributes to an ongoing IBA task force on arbitrator nationality and is a local member of the International Law Association.
Danny David, global managing partner at Baker Botts, said: “Singapore is one of the world’s premier arbitration centres and Asia is an important market for the firm.
“Katie adds meaningful depth to our international disputes platform and strengthens our ability to serve clients across Asia. This is a deliberate step in the continued expansion of our global capabilities, and building our on-the-ground arbitration presence is both timely and strategic.”
Richard Guit, who leads the firm’s Singapore office, said: “Chung’s deep experience across key industries and her standing in the arbitration community is the perfect addition.”
Writing on LinkedIn, Chung said her move was “an exciting opportunity to contribute to and further grow [its] highly regarded international arbitration practice in Singapore and across the region”.
Her arrival comes as the firm builds out its global arbitration practice locally. Special counsel Lukas Lim, who previously worked with Chung at NRF, joined back in December.
That followed November’s hire of Josh Cole from Ashurst, as part of a deliberate build-out of the firm’s broader Singapore capabilities, Guit said.
Cole previously led Ashurst’s Asia corporate practice and its Hong Kong office, as well as having been practice lead for digital economy transactions regionally. Baker Botts launched in Singapore in 2023 with Guit leading a three-partner team move, also from Ashurst.
Following Chung’s departure, a spokesperson for Norton Rose Fulbright said: “We are strongly committed to our global and Asia Pacific international arbitration practices and continue to invest in our teams around the world.”
The spokesperson added: “In Singapore, we are recognised for our strengths across all key practice areas, including our international arbitration practice headed by Kent Phillips,” who joined from Hogan Lovells in 2023.
NRF’s Singapore office also saw finance lawyer Colin Rice join Jones Day as a partner in January, although it welcomed Leo Fattorini’s arrival as a partner with a six-lawyer aviation law team from Bird & Bird that same month.
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