Sydney 30 July 2004 – Read today’s legal news, law firm news & legal research at LAWFUEL Clayton Utz today announced the appointment of well-known corporate and TMT (technology, media and telecommunications) lawyer Michael Reede as a partner in the firm’s national Corporate Advisory/M&A group. Mr Reede joins Clayton Utz from the New York law firm of Paul, Weiss Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, where he was a partner in the firm’s Hong Kong office for the last four years.
Mr Reede’s corporate practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, private equity and strategic corporate and commercial transactions. He has also acted for many clients addressing structural change in the telecommunications and media sectors . Prior to moving to Hong Kong in 2000 he was a partner practising extensively in the Australian market.
“I am delighted to be returning to Sydney and joining one of Australia – and Asia’s – pre-eminent firms,” said Mr Reede. “In the Asia-Pacific legal market, it is important that a firm has a dynamic outlook, clear direction and focused management. It is also important for the firm to have an international perspective. Clayton Utz has all of these qualities. For my part I believe that my experience of working in Asia with Paul, Weiss, one of the leading law firms in the United States, will help to enhance those qualities further.”
According to Wally McDonald, head of the firm’s national Corporate Department, the appointment is significant, further deepening the firm’s already highly-regarded private equity and M&A teams.
“Michael is joining a highly successful team and his arrival enhances our breadth of talent in the TMT area. His experience in Asia is further testament to our position as a truly international firm,” Mr McDonald said.
Michael’s appointment follows the appointment to the firm of leading private equity specialists Philip Kapp and David Stammers, who joined the firm in April as partners.
Michael’s recent work includes advising TCL, China’s largest television manufacturer, on a global merger with the television manufacturing business of Thomson SA of France to establish TCL-Thomson Electronics, the world’ largest television manufacturer by unit volume. He also advised TCL on its recently announced acquisition of Alcatel’s mobile handset business. These transactions reflect the new externally focused ambitions of major Chinese corporations seeking control of foreign brands, technologies and distribution channels in international markets.
He has represented a variety of private equity investors in their investments in companies in China, India, Korea and Malaysia . In 2002 he was one of the partners advising the Shanghai Municipal Government on transactions to establish the Universal Studios theme park in Shanghai, mainland China’s first international theme park.
He has also been a key adviser to a number of telecommunications carriers in Hong Kong and Australia for the last 10 years. These include Hong Kong Telecom (now PCCW) on legislative and regulatory change in Hong Kong for the last 10 years and its successful negotiations with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government in 1998 to relinquish its international exclusivity for a significant compensation package. He has advised many incumbent and new entrant carriers, pay television and satellite operators.
Michael is identified by clients and legal publications as a leading TMT lawyer in Asia, including Asia’s Leading Lawyers, Chambers Global, European Counsel Global Communications Industry Report and Asia Pacific Legal 500.
