Withers eyes South East Asia for expansion

Private client law firm Withers plans to open an office in Singapore as it targets the city-state’s big wealth management sector.

A spokeswoman for Withers told Campden that the launch was subject to approval from the partners, but was unable to give specific dates. She said: “Singapore is an important part of the global wealth horizon and we are seeing a lot of activity in the region.”

According to the latest Forbes billionaire list, the top 40 richest in Singapore were worth $45.7 billion in 2010, up from $39 billion the year before. Singapore is also the fourth largest financial centre in the world after London, New York and Hong Kong, according to a survey by British consultancy Z/Yen Group.

Withers was founded in London in 1896 and has offices across Europe, Asia, the US and the Caribbean – it opened its office in Hong Kong three years back. The firm also recently added more members to its office in Italy to increase its offerings for family businesses in the country.