McDermott Will & Emery has hired another partner from a rival U.S. firm in Singapore, as it prepares for its office opening in the country.

McDermott, which is launching an office in Singapore a year after it shuttered its offices in China and two years after closing its operation in South Korea, has added projects partner Merrick White from the Singapore office of King & Spalding. The firm has also applied for a Foreign Law Practice (FLP) license for its Singapore outfit and is awaiting approval from the Ministry of Law.