Simon Taskunas to Join Freehills’ Partnership
22 November 2007Freehills has announced the appointment of Singapore-based Special Counsel Simon Taskunas to the Partnership.
Simon’s appointment along with Michelle Fox and Simon Reed to Freehills’ Partnership has been driven by the firm’s robust growth strategy and the identified needs of clients across key countries, sectors and industries.
In making the announcement, Freehills’ Chief Executive Officer, Gavin Bell, said that the new Partners are a strong representation of the enormous depth of talent at the firm, and commented that each individual will bring new ideas and fresh perspectives to “help us continually challenge ourselves to improve our clients’ experiences.”
“Appointing new Partners at the end of the calendar year tends to be the exception, not the rule; these new Partners are exceptional, bringing strong leadership skills and a real commitment to delivering innovative and cost-effective solutions for our clients,” said Mr Bell.
“Importantly, they also display highly developed technical expertise and the ability to listen and communicate effectively with clients and other team members, and they have a passion for assisting Freehills’ clients in making decisions that are important to their businesses,” he continued.
Mr Bell also said that strong commercial acumen is what sets Freehills apart from its top-tier competitors, and that rewarding people who display these skills is paramount in ensuring a strong career development focus within the firm.
Simon Taskunas, from the firm’s Banking and Projects group, was seconded to the firm’s Singapore office in July 2006 to help drive the firm’s international strategy and service the increasingly diverse needs of clients across Asia and Australia.
Simon practises predominantly in the area of corporate real estate development and investment (including REITs). He also advises clients undertaking cross-border investment projects in other sectors including infrastructure and resources.
He is highly experienced in managing multi-disciplinary teams of advisers, and assisting international clients from different cultural backgrounds.
Speaking of his appointment, Simon said he felt honoured to be recognised by Freehills, a market leading law firm where he has been employed for the past nine years.
“Freehills has been advising clients across Asia for over 30 years, so I am particularly excited about continuing that service to our clients from our regional hub in Singapore at a time when Asia, India and the Middle East have been experiencing unprecedented growth.”
Simon’s appointment to the Freehills partnership is effective 1 January 2008.
Background Information
Simon Taskunas
Partner, Banking and Projects, Singapore
Simon Taskunas is a member of the firm’s Banking and Projects group. Simon has acquired wide commercial experience from working on projects throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Originally from Freehills’ Perth office, he was seconded to the Freehills Singapore office during 2000-2002 and has been permanently based there since 2006.
Simon practises predominantly in the area of corporate real estate development and investment (including REITs). He also advises clients undertaking cross-border investment projects in other sectors including infrastructure/PPPs and resources.
Simon graduated from the University of Tasmania with a combined degree of Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws in 1994. He is admitted to practice in Tasmania and Western Australia, and is entered on the Roll of Practitioners for the Federal and High Courts of Australia.
Simon is a member of the Regulatory & Liaison Committee of the Asian Public Real Estate Association, which is currently assisting regulators in Indonesia and Thailand with the development of their real estate investment markets. He is also a member of the Australian Chamber of Commerce (Singapore), the Malaysia-Australia Business Council, and the Law Society of Western Australia.
Simon coordinates the Asian initiatives of the Freehills Foundation and Freehills’ pro bono committee.
Recent major projects and clients include:
Assisting a multinational real estate group in undertaking a scoping study for the establishment of a real estate investment trust (REIT) in Singapore.
Acting for a US client in the formation of an Indian property fund, and development projects in Fiji.
Acting for a bidder in relation to the S$800m Singapore Sports Hub PPP infrastructure project.
Assisting Lend Lease with the establishment of the Asian Retail Investment Fund, including the Fund’s investment in the Somerset retail project in Singapore.
Assisting the Morgan Stanley Real Estate-owned Investa Property Group in various acquisition and development projects.
Advising United Group in relation to contracting projects in Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia.
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