HONG KONG--(BUSINESS WIRE)--International law firm Sidley Austin has announced that Thomas W. Albrecht, a member of the firm’s Management and Executive Committees, is relocating from its Chicago office to its Hong Kong office to assume responsibilities as Managing Partner for the Asia Pacific region.

Thomas A. Cole, Chair of Sidley’s Executive Committee, said, “We are very pleased that Tom has assumed leadership for developing and implementing our strategic plan for the Asia Pacific region. Our appointment of a partner who is highly respected by clients and is also a member of the firm’s Management and Executive Committees underscores our long-standing commitment to the region.”

Charles W. Douglas, Chair of Sidley’s Management Committee, remarked, “In addition to his finance practice which has attracted clients in the U.S., Europe and Asia, Tom has provided leadership for the expansion of the firm’s non-U.S. offices over the past fifteen years. We are tapping that experience for the further development of our operations in the Asia Pacific region, recognizing the increasing importance to our clients of that fast growing part of the world. The firm’s ability to realize its ambitions for our Asia Pacific platform will be greatly enhanced by basing Tom in our Hong Kong office.”

Mr. Albrecht will be working closely with two other members of Sidley’s Executive Committee presently in the region - Tomoo Nishikawa, the Managing Partner of the Tokyo office, and Constance Choy, a Corporate Finance partner in the Hong Kong office. William O. Fifield, who has served as Sidley’s Managing Partner for the Greater China region since 2005, will continue in that capacity until the end of 2010, when he will return to the United States.

Mr. Albrecht commented, “Our clients have recognized with increasing interest the macro-economic growth prospects for the Asia Pacific region, and that interest has translated into the expansion of existing operations and additional regional investment. Over the past five years, Bill Fifield has made a tremendous contribution to Sidley’s regional expansion and with our six offices and nearly 120 professionals, we have a terrific platform. But increased client demand compels us to plan for growth and to consider other jurisdictions where we should add offices. Organic growth with a focus on retaining the talented lawyers we already have will be combined with strategic hiring of lateral candidates. Our delivery of client services, and our ability to attract and retain the best talent, is enhanced through the close integration of our Asia Pacific practices with those in our other offices. The expansion of our core practices will continue in earnest during the next few years.”

Mr. Albrecht has been with Sidley for more than thirty years and is an accomplished finance lawyer. He has been recognized by several publications including Chambers Global and Chambers USA as a Leading Lawyer. He is co-head of Sidley’s global structured finance and securitization practice and has extensive experience in secured financings, structured finance transactions, restructurings, workouts and cross border financings and securitizations. His clients include investment banks, commercial banks, multinational corporations and insurance companies. He received his J.D., cum laude, Order of the Coif, from The University of Chicago Law School in 1979.

Sidley has had an established presence in the Asia Pacific region for more than 25 years, having opened its first office in the region in 1982. It was one of the first U.S. firms to offer Hong Kong, English and U.S. law capabilities to clients. Within the region, the firm currently has offices in Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo.

The firm’s Asia Pacific practice has been awarded numerous honors, including being named “Most Innovative U.S. Law Firm” by IFLR earlier this year. Sidley has one of the region’s top Corporate Finance practices. Since 2009, Sidley lawyers have acted on fifteen IPOs on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (SEHK) and nine high-yield debt offerings. The team won several awards for its transactions in 2009, advising clients such as the P.R.C. Ministry of Finance, Sands China, GOME, Sinotruk, The Bank of East Asia, Transpacific Industries Group, Goodman Group and Prime Infrastructure. Other highlights include acting for UC Rusal on its US$2.24 billion IPO, as well as Asia Aluminum, PT Davomas Tbk and major financial institutions such as Goldman Sachs and ING on capital markets, restructuring and liability management matters, including tender offers, exchange offers and consent solicitations.

In recognition of the work of the firm’s leading Asia Investment Funds team, in 2008, Sidley was named “Best Law Firm for Alternative Assets in Asia.” Sidley also has a recognized litigation and regulatory practice in Asia which covers a diverse range of matters such as securities disputes, SFC, SEC, stock exchange and other regulatory investigations, IP, insolvency, antitrust and insurance. In addition, the firm’s international arbitration practice represents multinational companies, investment funds and governments in cross-border disputes involving issues arising under commercial contracts, international trade agreements and investment treaties, and that practice recently won the “USA - International Arbitration Gold Award 2010” from International Legal Alliance.

Sidley’s China practice is well known for its work in M&A, antitrust and life sciences, representing international clients such as Avon, Akzo Nobel and Tyson Foods with regard to their strategic projects in China, as well as assisting pharmaceutical companies such as GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, Bayer, Smith & Nephew and Merck in connection with regulatory and corporate matters.

Sidley Austin LLP is one of the world’s largest full-service law firms, with approximately 1700 lawyers practicing in 17 cities, including seven offices in the U.S. as well as Beijing, Brussels, Frankfurt, Geneva, Hong Kong, London, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo. Every year since 2003, Sidley has been named to Legal Business’ Global Elite – its designation for the 18 firms “that define the pinnacle of the legal profession.” Sidley is recognized for service and responsiveness—BTI, a Boston-based research and consulting firm, has named Sidley as one of only two firms to have been in the top ten of the BTI Client Service rankings every year since the inception of those rankings in 2001, and as number one in three of those years.

For purposes of the New York State Bar rules, this press release may be considered Attorney Advertising and the headquarters of the firm are Sidley Austin LLP 787 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10019, 212.839.5300 and Sidley Austin LLP One South Dearborn, Chicago, IL 60603, 312.853.7000. Prior results described herein do not guarantee a similar outcome.