As awareness on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) increases in Asian markets, Linklaters has hired energy and construction lawyer Mark Veitch as head of Asia construction in its energy and infrastructure practice in Singapore, and appointed a Hong Kong-based managing associate, Gilly Hutchinson, as head of ESG regional development in Asia.
Veitch has more than 14 years of specialist construction experience in the energy and infrastructure market, focusing on major projects for downstream hydrocarbons, industrial estates, manufacturing, transport and utility infrastructure and power. He joined from Herbert Smith Freehills, where he led the construction practice for Southeast Asia as of counsel in Singapore for three years.
Hutchinson has more than 10 years’ experience advising on energy and infrastructure projects in Asia, most recently in Linklaters’ energy and infrastructure practice. She joined Linklaters in 2004 as a trainee and left in 2009 to serve as a senior policy adviser in the UK government’s Department of Energy and Climate Change in London. She re-joined the firm as a managing associate in 2016.
Linklaters’s corporate partner in Singapore, Robert Elliot, said: “Changes in societal expectations, public intolerance of corporate governance failures, and the increasing focus on climate change and other environmental impacts are transforming investor focus in respect of company performance.”
“Walking the talk and strategic alignment with ESG goals are now critical to unlocking new investment opportunities, strengthening business relationships, sustaining returns and attracting and retaining talent,” said Elliot. “Recognising how ESG will have a wide-ranging impact across our client base, we saw the need for a dedicated role focused on ESG here in Asia.”
