Singapore – K&L Gates Straits Law LLC, the Singapore office of global law firm K&L Gates, continues to expand its capabilities with the additions of partners David Kuo and Meraj Noor, enhancing its global Corporate practice. The pair joins the firm’s Singapore office from DLA Piper.

Kuo is a US-qualified lawyer admitted in California and a foreign registered lawyer in Singapore with 20 years of experience spanning the United States, Hong Kong, and Singapore. During his tenure in Asia, he has successfully built a broad corporate practice, including leading outbound mergers and acquisition, and has become a trusted advisor to promoters and other clients operating across the region. The legal, cultural, and political insights he provides has been key in helping Asia-based clients pursue opportunities in overseas markets, particularly in the United States. Kuo also advises on private equity transactions and emerging company representation, as well as on corporate finance transactions for clients operating across the technology, life sciences, energy, and real estate sectors.

Noor is an Indian-qualified lawyer and a registered foreign lawyer in Singapore, who has 16 years of experience practicing in Dubai, India, and Singapore. Noor focuses his corporate practice on matters touching on Southern Asia, particularly on India-related transactions. He also brings experience across a wide spectrum of cross-border corporate deals, with a specific focus on capital markets transactions. As Singapore increasingly has become a hub for large corporates, Noor will be a key member and steward of the firm’s global Corporate practice, will bring extensive experience with respect to India-related transactions, and will enhance the firm’s ability to advise clients with support from its fully integrated global platform.

M Rajaram, the chair of K&L Gates Straits Law, said: “As the Indian economy booms, Singapore has become the preferred springboard for outbound Indian investments. David and Meraj bring both wide experience and deep understanding of the market and needs of Indian clients and clients throughout the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. We are excited to have them onboard.”

J. Ryan Dwyer, III, regional managing partner, Asia, said: “We are thrilled to welcome David and Meraj to the firm. Their client connectivity, commitment to excellence, and outstanding credentials will add depth and breadth to our regional corporate and transactional capabilities. Their arrival demonstrates our commitment to growth in the Asia-Pacific region and builds upon the new talent the Singapore office has recruited this year.”

Kuo and Noor’s arrival follows a series of recent lateral hires in Singapore. Since January, the firm has welcomed Investment Funds partner Jason Nelms and Finance partners Samuel Kolehmainen and Duc Nguyen.

K&L Gates’ Corporate practice is one of the most substantial in the legal industry, with more than 500 lawyers in offices on five continents assisting clients in the structuring, financing, and completion of domestic, international, and cross-border transactions. The group serves as counsel to a broad array of Global 500, Fortune 100, FTSE 100 corporations, privately held and venture-backed companies, partnerships, private equity firms, other investment funds, management groups, and entrepreneurs.

K&L Gates’ India practice comprises lawyers from around the world, who are multilingual and have strong ties to Indian markets. Due to Indian regulation, the firm does not practice India law, but it does maintain close working relationships with selected law firms and individual counsel in India, who it works in tandem with to seamlessly advise clients on cross-border transactions, projects, and disputes.