CMS has strengthened its corporate capabilities in Asia with the addition of Hong Kong-based partner Steven Tran, an expert in M&A and private equity.
“Steven will have a prominent role in undertaking M&A and private equity transactions across the Asia region and will also be working with the corporate team in Singapore, headed by Toby Grainger,” Caryn Miller, CMS partner and managing director for Asia and the Middle East, told Asia Business Law Journal.
Tran, formerly a partner at Morrison Foerster, brings 25 years of experience advising multinational corporations and private equity funds on cross-border transactions, working across multiple jurisdictions, including Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo and Sydney. He also worked as a partner at Mayer Brown, Hogan Lovells and Kirkland & Ellis and is qualified as a solicitor in Hong Kong, England and Wales, and Australia.
Based in Asia during the past 23 years, Tran has advised on high-profile transactions, including Grab’s acquisition of Chope, a leading restaurant reservation app operating across Southeast Asia. He also provided counsel to a global private equity fund on its proposed acquisition of a Singapore-based fintech company.
Miller emphasised Tran’s significance to the firm’s strategy: “Hong Kong continues to be of strategic importance for CMS and Steve’s arrival signals our ongoing commitment to the APAC [Asia-Pacific] region.”
Tran’s appointment follows the recent hiring of partners Paul Moloney and Helen Wang in the firm’s funds and indirect real estate team in Hong Kong. Mariel Dimsey, managing partner of the Hong Kong Office of CMS Germany and head of APAC, rejoined the firm last year after serving as secretary-general of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre.
