New York/ Hong Kong, October 14, 2005 – LAWFUEL – The Law News Network – Baker & McKenzie LLP announced on September 29 that, as part of its acquisition of a substantial part of Coudert Brothers’ flagship New York office, Barry Metzger has joined the Firm’s Banking & Finance Practice Group as a Partner. He brings over 30 years of international finance and investment transactions experience with a particular focus on the Asia Pacific region, including service as General Counsel of the Asian Development Bank.
Mr. Metzger focuses his practice on strategic investors and financial institutions expanding their investment activities in Asia and other emerging markets; on Asian investors and financial institutions involved in international trade, finance and investment transactions; on multilateral institutions such as the Asian Development Bank; and on government advisory work with law reform issues. He is currently working on a major transaction representing the Chinese government’s export credit insurance agency and the Chinese bicycle industry in coming to the rescue of the bicycle manufacturers’ principal American customer, Huffy Corporation, which will soon emerge from bankruptcy.
Mr. Metzger began his career with Coudert in New York in 1974 before moving to the firm’s Hong Kong office where he served as an associate, partner and then managing partner from 1976- 1984. He continued to practice law and serve as managing partner in each of Coudert’s Sydney, London and Tokyo offices, respectively.
He was also General Counsel of the Asian Development Bank from 1995 to 1998, where he was intimately involved in the international financial community’s response to the Asian financial crisis, reorganized management of the legal function at the Bank, and expanded the Bank’s legal technical assistance to its developing member countries in the Asia Pacific region. Mr. Metzger returned to Coudert’s New York office at the completion of his role in 1999. He has since served as an advisor to the Korean and Russian governments on corporate governance reform, in addition to his extensive work on cross-border investments between Asia and the United States.
“We are delighted to see the very strong synergies between our new team in New York and Baker & McKenzie’s team based in Asia,” said John Conroy, Chairman of Baker & McKenzie’s Executive Committee. “Barry will be an outstanding resource in our efforts to build on those synergies in serving our clients both here in Asia and in the U.S.”
Mr. Metzger joins Baker & McKenzie’s New York office, alongside approximately 70 other Coudert partners and other legal staff which more than double Baker & McKenzie’s New York presence to over 135 lawyers and legal staff. He will also frequent Baker & McKenzie’s Asia Pacific offices, which include 840 lawyers in 14 locations.
Mr. Metzger said, “The marriage of Baker & McKenzie’s resources in Asia with those of the Coudert partners in New York is directly responsive to the growing international investment activities of many Asian, and particularly Chinese, companies and financial institutions. We are entering a period of dramatic growth of Asia’s companies’ international expansion.”
