Watson Farley & Williams Expands Asian Presence With Partner Sonya Kalnin

Watson Farley & Williams Expands Asian Presence With Partner Sonya Kalnin

UK-headquartered law firm Watson Farley & Williams (WFW) has appointed Sonya Kalnin as a Partner in its corporate team in Bangkok, enhancing its energy and infrastructure practice in Asia.

Kalnin brings over two decades of experience specializing in cross-border M&A, joint ventures, and project finance within the energy and infrastructure sectors. She previously spent more than 13 years at Linklaters, where she left as a counsel in 2023. Her career also includes positions at legacy firms Allen & Overy and Mayer Brown.

"Her energy and infrastructure expertise in both the Thai and broader regional markets represent a significant boost for our Bangkok corporate practice," stated Steven Burkill, head of WFW's Bangkok office.

Linh Doan, head of the Asia projects and corporate group, added, "Sonya is a highly regarded lawyer, and her experience will be invaluable as we continue to strengthen and expand our corporate services offering for all of our Asian clients, particularly in our core sectors.

With Kalnin's arrival, the total number of lawyers in WFW's Bangkok office now stands at 29, including six partners. This comes after Christopher Osborne, the office's former head of corporate, moved to SCL Nishimura & Asahi in October last year.