Japanese Big Six law firm Nishimura & Asahi has continued the planned expansion of its Southeast Asia offerings with the addition of energy-focused finance and M&A partner Sean Conaty.

Following a brief initial in Tokyo, Conaty will relocate to Nishimura’s Vietnam offices, where he will cover Southeast Asian regional work, a Nishimura spokesperson told ALB in an email.

Conaty comes from U.S. law firm Hunton Andrews Kurth, where he spent two years following a nine-year stint at Hogan Lovells. He started his career at Allen & Overy.

His practice focuses on cross-border investments into Southeast Asia and has advised sponsors, borrowers, lenders and governments on infrastructure projects in the region for over two decades.

Conaty has particular expertise advising on energy projects in Vietnam and Indonesia. His clients have included Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, PT PLN, PT Medco Energi Internasional, Asian Development Bank, Trans-Asia Gas Pipeline Company, Bank of China, Standard Chartered Bank, Kansai Electric and SK E&C.

Conaty’s hire is a part of Nishimura’s strategic growth in Southeast Asia, as the firm looks to meet the growing interests of Japanese clients in the region.  

In September, the Japanese domestic giant entered into an association with Sy & Partners in the Philippines to better facilitate inbound and outbound investment between the jurisdictions. The firm hired Philippines-focused corporate partner Jason Jose R. Jiao in December.

Nishimura’s Singapore alliance firm Bayfront Law recruited former Drew & Napier director Paras Lalwani in Singapore to head its international arbitration practice in November.

Nishimura currently has a presence in eight cities in the region—either through its own office or an association firm—in  Singapore, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Manila, and Yangon.