Latham & Watkins Adds Three Prominent Partners to Growing Energy & Infrastructure Group in Asia

Latham & Watkins LLP¹ is pleased to announce that Sidharth (Sid) Bhasin, James Clayton-Payne, and Don Stokes will join the firm’s Energy & Infrastructure Industry Group and will be based in Singapore. Bhasin and Clayton-Payne join the firm’s Mergers & Acquisitions Practice and Stokes will join the Project Development & Finance Practice. Together, they bring significant experience handling public M&A, joint ventures, private equity investments and exits, and project financings spanning a number of high-growth sectors.

Latham & Watkins Chair and Managing Partner Rich Trobman said: “The arrival of these three outstanding lawyers will enable our firm to capitalize on growth in a dynamic sector. Asia is a major part of our market-leading, cross-disciplinary global energy and infrastructure practice, which has an impressive track record advising on a wide range of energy, power, renewables, and infrastructure transactions. With Sid, James, and Don, we’re strengthening an already tremendously experienced team in Asia and across the globe.”

The group includes:

• Partners Bhasin and Clayton-Payne, who have significant experience working with leading multinationals in the energy and infrastructure sector on both inbound and outbound transactions, and whose practices span the full gamut of joint ventures, take-overs, strategic investments, restructurings, divestments, and private equity exits. Both have extensive experience working on transactions in Southeast Asia, with Bhasin also advising on myriad transactions in South Asia. Bhasin and Clayton-Payne join Latham from Shearman & Sterling in Singapore.
• Partner Don Stokes, who brings substantial experience advising on complex infrastructure and energy project developments and financings in the region for developers, sponsors, and lenders. Stokes is well regarded for his particular expertise in the Vietnam energy sector where he has advised on a number of groundbreaking deals in both the LNG and wind power sectors. He will join from Freshfields.

“We are delighted to welcome Sid, James, and Don to the firm. They are highly talented and driven partners, who share a common vision with our Asia team to further expand our offering to energy and infrastructure clients through our multi-disciplinary approach,” said Michael Sturrock, Managing Partner of Latham’s Asia offices. “One of the biggest assets of our platform is the way in which our practices complement one another. Our cross-border Energy & Infrastructure Industry Group is no exception. In the US and Europe we have successfully converged our project finance, M&A, acquisition finance, capital markets, disputes, and private equity knowledge in a way that few firms have been able to do, to enable us to advise on some of the most impressive energy and infrastructure matters worldwide. By leveraging the combined experience of our outstanding Asia team and further strengthening this with the arrival of Sid, James, and Don, we will extend the reach of our global Energy & Infrastructure Group to the region and become one of the leaders in this rapidly expanding market.”

Singapore partner Sharon Lau, who serves as Global Vice Chair of Latham’s Corporate Department, added: “The arrival of this group will be a major milestone in the growth of our practice in Asia. With their vast experience and deep knowledge, Sid, James, and Don will be a tremendous addition to our practice. Our clients are leading and transforming the market. We expect to see heightened activity by infra and private equity funds in Asia alongside longstanding lender and export credit agency projects in the region. Sid, James, and Don could not be arriving at a more exciting time.”

Jeff Greenberg, Global Chair of the firm’s Project Development & Finance Practice, said: “We’re witnessing incredible innovation as deals blend traditional project finance with cutting-edge, private equity-led funds in infrastructure and renewables. We are thrilled that Sid, James, and Don will join the firm, and our team looks forward to drawing on their vast deal experience and excellent client service to help stay at the forefront of this strategically important practice.”

Bhasin received his LLM from Cornell Law School in 2001. He has worked in New York, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Clayton-Payne graduated in English literature at the University of Durham and obtained his post-graduate diploma in law at Oxford Brookes University (Merit) and his legal practitioner’s certificate at the Oxford Institute of Legal Practice (Merit). He has worked in London, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Stokes received his Bachelor of civil laws from the National University of Ireland, Dublin, in 1996. He has worked in London, New York, Tokyo, Ho Chi Minh City, and Singapore.

About Latham & Watkins

Latham & Watkins delivers innovative solutions to complex legal and business challenges around the world. From a global platform, our lawyers advise clients on market-shaping transactions, high-stakes litigation and trials, and sophisticated regulatory matters. Latham is one of the world’s largest providers of pro bono services, steadfastly supports initiatives designed to advance diversity within the firm and the legal profession, and is committed to exploring and promoting environmental sustainability.

Notes to Editors

¹Latham & Watkins operates worldwide as a limited liability partnership organized under the laws of the State of Delaware (USA) with affiliated limited liability partnerships conducting the practice in France, Hong Kong, Italy, Singapore, and the United Kingdom and as an affiliated partnership conducting the practice in Japan. Latham & Watkins operates in South Korea as a Foreign Legal Consultant Office. Latham & Watkins works in cooperation with the Law Firm of Salman M. Al-Sudairi, a limited liability company, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.