Morrison & Foerster Strengthens Asia Corporate Practice With Senior Private Equity Partner Scott Jalowayski

Morrison & Foerster Strengthens Asia Corporate Practice With Senior Private Equity Partner Scott Jalowayski

Morrison & Foerster (MoFo) has strengthened its corporate practice in Asia by recruiting Scott Jalowayski, a Senior Private Equity and M&A Partner, from Gibson Dunn & Crutcher in Singapore. This move follows recent departures to CMS and Baker McKenzie, enhancing MoFo's position in the region.

Jalowayski returns to MoFo after spending eight years as a partner at Gibson Dunn, where he co-chaired the firm’s global private equity practice and was a founding partner of its Asia private equity practice. He is admitted to practice in both Hong Kong and New York, bringing over 20 years of experience in advising on private equity and M&A transactions. Notably, his recent work includes advising KKR on its investment in Indonesia-based digital trust provider Privy, and Japan's Zensho Holdings on its $621 million acquisition of UK food business The Snowfox Group.

“Scott brings to the firm significant private equity and M&A credentials and core relationships in both Southeast Asia and Japan,” said Tabitha Saw, MoFo’s Singapore Co-Office Managing Partner. “His presence will deepen our bench in these regions and in industries that are strategic to the firm, including energy transition, renewables, technology and digital infrastructure.”

Before his time at Gibson Dunn, Jalowayski was a Partner at Ropes & Gray for nine years and practiced at MoFo’s Tokyo and Hong Kong offices for eight years, making Partner in 2008. His return comes after the firm saw corporate partner Steven Tran leave for CMS in Hong Kong, and two M&A and private equity partners joined Baker McKenzie in Singapore last year, including Shirin Tang, the former Singapore Managing Partner.

Including Jalowayski, MoFo’s Singapore office now has 21 lawyers, including five Partners focusing on private equity and M&A. The firm has also been expanding in Tokyo, MoFo's largest office in the region, with notable hires such as former PAG General Counsel Greg Salathé and private equity and M&A Partner Stephen DeCosse from Jones Day.

Ken Siegel, Managing Partner of MoFo's Tokyo office and Head of the office’s M&A team, said, “We view Jalowayski as a key addition to our capabilities to assist clients investing into and from Japan around the region.” He added, “His decade-long experience with this market will further supplement our US and Japan M&A and PE teams.”