McDermott Supercharges Asia-Pacific Offering with Highly Recognized White-Collar Team

Team of experienced lawyers led by Yuet Ming Tham brings years of international compliance and investigations experience as the Firm spearheads its offering in Asia

SINGAPORE, April 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- International law firm McDermott Will & Emery announced today the appointment of a market-leading team in its office in Singapore. The team is led by prominent White Collar and Life Sciences partner Yuet Ming Tham who joins the Firm as Head of Asia Pacific, Singapore Office Managing Partner, and Global Co-Chair of the Government Investigations and Compliance Group. Yuet is joined by partner Shu Min Ho and counsel Sam Johnson and Margaret Huang.  

The team joins from Sidley Austin LLP where Yuet was the global co-leader of the White Collar: Government Litigation & Investigations group and the leader of its Asia Pacific Compliance and Investigations practice. She also chaired that Firm's Asia Pacific Diversity & Inclusion Committee.

Michael S. Poulos, Partner in Charge of McDermott's Strategy said, "The arrival of Yuet and her team is a tremendous boost to our expansion in Singapore, and Asia-Pacific more widely, enabling us to comprehensively address our clients' global regulatory needs. Yuet and the team bring with them a unique combination of deep expertise at the intersection of life sciences and investigations in the context of the Asian market. Clients facing government enforcement risks in Asia will be able to tap into their significant experience in international compliance and investigations, including their particular prowess in the life sciences sector, and their wealth of knowledge of trends across the region. Yuet's practice is a great fit with our existing services in both White Collar and Healthcare, but with a particular focus on companies operating in Asia and Europe. We're excited to offer our clients an added value of her years of experience in the most high-profile and complex matters across the region."

Yuet has counselled major corporations on the FCPA and anti-bribery compliance, money-laundering regulations and sanctions, data-privacy and employment. Her multi-jurisdictional practice has included compliance projects and investigations across all of Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East. She has represented clients on matters involving the SEC, the US. Department of Justice, FINRA, as well as enforcement agencies across Asia. Most recently, Yuet led investigations in Turkey, Hungary, Romania, Israel, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, India, China, Malaysia, Australia, Japan and Vietnam.  Yuet has represented close to 35 different pharmaceutical, medical device and nutritional companies, many of whom are listed on major stock exchanges in the US. and Europe or are headquartered there. 

Yuet speaks fluent English, Mandarin, Cantonese and Malay and is admitted in New York, England & Wales, Hong Kong and Singapore.

"I am thrilled about the opportunity to lead McDermott's Singapore office and to play a strategic role in the next stage of the Firm's dynamic development in Asia," said Yuet. "The Firm's global mindset, its belief in prioritizing clients and its strength in the White Collar and Healthcare space provide a solid platform for supporting my clients. I am looking forward to strengthening the Firm's offering in the Asia-Pacific region over the next few years."

Yuet was most recently named by Global Investigations Review 2021 as one of its "Top 100 Women in Investigations" globally. She was also named one of the "Top 100 Women in Law" in the Asia Pacific region in 2020 and "Dispute Resolution Star - White-collar" in 2019 by Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific and recognized in Who's Who Legal: Thought Leaders – Global Investigations Review 2019-2020 and Who's Who Legal: Thought Leaders – Hong Kong 2020. Yuet has also been awarded the Emerging Markets "Compliance & Investigations Lawyer of the Year" by The Asian Lawyer, with the team also recognized as the "Compliance and Investigations Firm of the Year".  Finally, she is highly-ranked in the 2021 (and prior) editions of Chambers Global and Chambers Asia-Pacific for Corporate Investigations/Anti-Corruption: International as well as for Life Sciences: International category.

Shu Min Ho has significant experience leading complex cross-border investigations, with a focus on bribery, corruption, fraud, embezzlement and other corporate crime. She has particularly deep expertise in the pharmaceutical and medical device sectors, and has recently led investigations in the UAE, Egypt, Turkey, Hungary, Romania, the UK, Japan, South Korea, China, India, Malaysia and Singapore. Shu Min's practice is complemented by a wide-ranging advisory portfolio, covering anti-trust, cybersecurity, data privacy, employment and other regulatory and compliance matters.

"I'm excited to join McDermott and to take my practice to the next level within its international network", said Shu Min. "The Firm's commitment to growth, coupled with its impressive global footprint, including not just Asia-Pacific but also Europe and the MENA region, will provide a fantastic foundation for serving my clients."

These appointments follow another high-profile hire into the Firm's Singapore office. Last month, Clarinda Tija-Dharmadi joined McDermott as Asia Chair of its Transactions Practice to lead the Pan-Asian build out of its energy and infrastructure practice.

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SOURCE McDermott Will & Emery