Maples and Calder’s Cayman Islands managing partner Gareth Griffiths will relocate to Hong Kong to replace current joint-managing partner Spencer Privett – who takes up the post of chairman of the Maples Fund Services’s Asia-Pacific division, effective Dec 2010.

Spencer will also continue in his role as head of the investment funds group in Maples and Calder's Hong Kong office.

Griffiths will work in close conjunction with current joint head of Hong Kong Christine Chang to develop the firm’s practice in Asia-Pacific – a region that Chang stresses is of growing importance to the firm.
Paul Lumsden, current head of the corporate group in Maples and Calder’s Cayman office, will replace Griffiths as managing partner of the Cayman office.

When asked what he would do differently as incoming joint-managing partner, Griffiths told ALB he will continue to focus on growing the firm's Cayman, BVI and Irish law practices – and will look to expand the already strong China team. Areas of practice that he aims to drive growth in include private equity and IPOs.

Griffiths joined Maples and Calder in 1997 and was made partner in 2002. Prior to joining the firm he worked for Freshfields in London. His practice focus includes advising on a wide variety of structured finance, capital markets and investment fund transactions. Griffiths has extensive experience in all aspects of corporate work, with a special focus on joint ventures, IPOs and M&A work.

There are currently 11 partners in the Hong Kong office.ALB

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