Clifford Chance has hired former Allen & Overy lawyer Aaron Comerford as counsel to its Tokyo team, and also promoted Wendy Yeo to counsel, in a move aimed at firming up its derivatives and structured products practice. 

Comerford, who joined Allen & Overy in 2008, has expertise in OTC derivatives, in addition to handling structured credit derivative transactions, synthetic instruments, and structured equity derivatives. Yeo currently concentrates on derivatives and structured products, and frequently counsels investment banks, dealers, intermediaries, and end users in the Tokyo market.

"Our team has grown substantially in the last two years, and with the addition of Aaron and the promotion of Wendy, we can boast of the strongest team across Asia Pacific,” said Paget Dare Bryan, Asia Pacific Head of Derivatives, in a statement.

“With over 30 lawyers, including 12 partners and counsels, advising on non-contentious derivative matters on either a dedicated or a regular basis from Hong Kong, Beijing, Perth, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo, our team is in the best position to respond to the ever-increasing demand for derivatives and structured products added," he said. ALB

Other related stories:

• Linklaters, King & Wood, CC, Jun He usher in ADBC RMB 3 bln dim sum bond
• Baker & McKenzie, Clifford Chance counsel KDDI’s massive bonds sale
• Mideast: Clifford Chance advises Aujan on $980 mln stake sale to Coke