Crowell & Moring Global Policy Affiliate Opens Singapore Office

Crowell & Moring’s global policy and regulatory affairs affiliate is opening up shop in Singapore, its first formal office in Southeast Asia.

Crowell & Moring International is expanding a year after it opened another office in Shanghai to serve clients on cross-border transactional, investigative, policy, and regulatory matters. Washington-based C&M International was founded more than 30 years ago to complement Crowell & Moring’s legal services.

“Singapore is a hub of activity for what is happening in Southeast Asia more broadly, and is increasingly a regulatory and policy innovator,” Robert Holleyman, president and chief executive of C&M International, told Bloomberg Law. He is also a partner in Crowell & Moring’s international trade practice as well as its privacy and security practice.

“Our work and client demand are driving this commitment in Singapore and the office only strengthens our ability to serve our clients in Asia and globally,” said Holleyman, a former deputy U.S. Trade Representative responsible for Asia.

Clark Jennings, a director at C&M International and a former White House official, will be managing director of Asia and oversee the Singapore outpost. Jennings worked at the National Economic Council during the Obama Administration, helping to coordinate its trade agenda, and as chief of staff at the U.S. Trade and Development Agency.

“We’re keenly watching how digital transformation is reshaping every industry and reorienting the way that governments work with the private sector,” Jennings said in a statement. “Having a physical presence in the region will help us deepen our collaboration with government associations and business executives to shape the policies and manage the emerging issues that will define economic growth in ‘the Asian Century.’”

The offices in Singapore and Shanghai deal with policy and regulatory issues, but Holleyman said services could “expand to include a legal component” over time.

Meanwhile, C&M International’s clients in the region facing legal issues will be referred to licensed attorneys who have the appropriate experience, said Holleyman.

The two C&M International offices will have about a dozen staff to help clients navigate trade and investment issues, including market access, global trade negotiations, tariffs, and privacy and cybersecurity.

C&M International has advised clients on the development within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations of a framework for cross-border data flows, and on the region’s largest public-private platform to strengthen ethical business practices across national health systems.

C&M International also has worked with governments in Asia to align regulatory approval procedures for medical products, Holleyman said, and it currently working on international standards for the energy sector.