White & Case ties up with Indonesian firm

White & Case is once again offering seamless advice on Indonesian transactions after forming an exclusive association with newly formed local law firm MD & Partners, more than seven years since it ended a previous tie-up with Ali Budiardjo Nugroho Reksodiputro (ABNR).

Jakarta-based MD & Partners was founded by Mita Djajadiredja, a mergers and acquisitions specialist who was previously one of the top partners at Hadiputranto Hadinoto & Partners, the Indonesian affiliate of Baker & McKenzie.

He is joined by Nadia Soraya, previously a partner at Makarim & Taira S in Jakarta and a specialist in finance and corporate advice, particularly in the power and natural resources sectors.

“White & Case was one of the first global law firms to focus on Indonesia,” said Barrye Wall, the firm’s Asia head. “The association with MD & Partners will provide an enhanced level of service to our clients seeking legal advice on Indonesian transactions.”

White & Case has been advising clients on transactions in Indonesia since the 1970s and had a presence of its own in Jakarta during the 1990s, until local lawyers forced a crackdown on international firms’ consulting offices after the Asian financial crisis. It then formed an association with ABNR, but that relationship fizzled out in 2005.

Even without a formal tie-up, White & Case has maintained its strong client relationships in the country, relying on leading local firms to provide Indonesian advice to clients and flying lawyers in from Singapore to work on deals.

It has also been keeping an eye out for potential partners to work with on a more consistent basis — and both Djajadiredja and Soraya clearly fit the bill. They will work exclusively for White & Case and, as a new firm, will have the opportunity to build a practice that is tailored to the international firm’s needs — the next best thing to having an office on the ground.

“We are very pleased to be exclusively associated with White & Case,” said Djajadiredja. “[The firm] has a great history in Indonesia.”