Dentons has hired Hong Kong-based partner David Blumenfeld as head of real estate in Asia-Pacific. The firm also merged with the Vietnamese law firm, LuatViet, to expand its presence in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.
Blumenfeld, who joined from Paul Hastings where he was a partner in the Hong Kong office for more than 12 years, will lead cross-border investment transactions and work closely with more than 20 offices in the region.
Blumenfeld is US qualified and has been based in Asia for more than 15 years. His practice focuses on high-profile real estate investment work and complex cross-border deals for private equity firms, financial institutions, investment banks and other institutional investors in the region.
LuatViet was founded by managing partner Tran Duy Canh, and is comprised of partners Tran Thi Ngoc Linh and John Yue, along with about 30 legal professionals. The firm is widely recognised for its manufacturing, real estate and construction, and banking and finance practices.
“Vietnam, as one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, is a priority market for our clients,” said Elliott Portnoy, the global CEO of Dentons. “Combining with LuatViet, with whom we have years of significant collaboration, will allow us to connect clients to leading talent in Vietnam, and to more than 20,000 professionals around the globe.”
The new Vietnamese offices marked Dentons’ fifth and sixth offices in Southeast Asia after Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta and Yangon.
