Reed Smith has boosted its global corporate trust team with the hire of a partner and two further lawyers from A&O Shearman across Singapore and Hong Kong. 

Tim Beech has joined the firm having been joint managing partner of the Singapore office at A&O Shearman and legacy Allen & Overy. He also served as Asia Pacific corporate trust and agency team lead. 

Meanwhile Regina Lui has moved over in Hong Kong after a decade at her former firm, where she was most recently counsel in its corporate trust and agency team. She has joined Reed Smith as a partner, with an associate set to make the move with her. 

The hires underscore Reed Smith’s commitment to strengthening its position in Asia and enhancing its capabilities across key practice areas, following a string of office openings and targeted lateral recruitment led by global managing partner Casey Ryan. 

The firm posted a record $1.5bn in revenue last year, with profit per equity partner (PEP) rising 13.8% to $1.8m. It has added 38 partners so far this year, with hires in Atlanta, Philadelphia, Dallas and now Asia.

For his part Beech brings almost 25 years of experience to his new firm. He advises corporate trustees and agents across the market on debt capital markets transactions, including corporate and financial institution debt, regulatory capital and other subordinated debt, equity-linked products, repackagings, CLOs, securitisations, covered bonds and infrastructure and project finance. He also advises trustees on defaults, modifications, waivers, restructurings and liability management, as well as disputes and litigation. 

Beech said his time at his former firm had been “an amazing experience,” having joined as a paralegal in 2002. “Fifteen years in London followed by eight years in APAC, and the firm has consistently given me the opportunity to learn, develop and grow as a lawyer,” he added. 

Beech’s reputation as a shrewd dealmaker will undoubtedly enhance Reed Smith’s Singapore practice, but his exit marks another senior departure from A&O Shearman, which has shed dozens of partners globally as part of post-merger cuts that also saw it close its office in Johannesburg and its consulting arm. 

Earlier this month McDermott hired experienced London finance partner Kathleen Wong, a contemporary of Beech’s in London and Asia who left A&O Shearman after 23 years. 

Meanwhile Lui, who will join Reed Smith at the end of her maternity leave, advises corporate trustees and agents on debt capital market and loan financing transactions. Her experience also covers real estate financing, project financing and structured financing, as well as advising corporate trustees on all post-issuance matters, dovetailing neatly with Beech’s Singapore role.

The hires continue Reed Smith’s broader effort to attract top talent in Asia, having also brought on Arthur Tso in Hong Kong last December from DLA Piper, where he was co-head of equity capital markets. 

Nevertheless, Reed Smith has also seen exits recently in the region, including financial regulation partner Hagen Rooke’s move to Gibson Dunn in Singapore in January, the same month Hong Kong corporate partner Patrick Wong left for CFN Lawyers, having been a partner at Reed Smith for more than 15 years. 

In February finance partner Michael Sinn, who had been co-head of banking and finance at Reed Smith, also left after 15 years to join leading Hong Kong independent Deacons alongside counsel Crystal Li, who joined as a partner.