Aviation lawyers Samuel Kolehmainen (L) and Duc Nguyen have left Herbert Smith Freehills in Singapore to join K&L Gates Straits Law as partners.

Their departures come a few months after HSF partner Siva Subramaniam moved to Singapore Big Four law firm Allen & Gledhill to co-lead its aviation finance practice.

Kolehmainen joined HSF in 2018 along with Subramaniam as part of a four-partner move from Watson Farley & Williams. He previously worked for Clifford Chance and two Finnish firms, apart from an in-house role at aircraft lessor Amentum Capital. He advises on commercial and Export Credit Agency financings and matters related to operating leases and aircraft trading.

Meanwhile, Nguyen advises on aviation financing, such as operating leasing, tax leasing, asset trading and structured finance. Prior to joining HSF as of counsel in 2022, he also worked for Clifford Chance.

K&L Gates Straits Law now has 14 partners in Singapore. They include disputes professional Joan Lim-Casanova, who joined in January last year from Cavenagh Law, the Singapore formal law alliance firm of Clifford Chance.