Paul Elliott rides back into town

Paul Elliott has decided to return to the law after two years running his farm in New Zealand. He is rejoining his former firm's joint law venture in Singapore called Baker McKenzie Wong & Leow. He will be the firm's most senior banking and project finance partner in the region.

Between 1999 and 2000, Elliott was based in the firm's Singapore office and from 1987 from 1999 he was a partner in the Hong Kong office of Baker & McKenzie. Over the years he has built a reputation as one of the best project finance lawyers in the industry. The list of deals on which he has worked shows the scope of his practice. He has acted for lenders, arrangers, sponsors and developers of projects in most countries in Asia. His work has involved him in the power, telecom, infrastructure, oil, gas, petrochemical, transport and water sectors.

In Hong Kong he has worked on the financing for the second cross harbour tunnel and Chep Lap Kok airport. In China he has worked on the Shunde, Wuhu and Changshu II power deals. In Thailand he worked on the Bowen power deal and the Thai Tap water Service deal. In Indonesia he was involved in the Serpong power deal and in India he worked on the Dabhol power project.He has also been involved the debt restructurings for companies such as Indocement and PT Excelcomindo in Indonesia, and Telecom Asia in Thailand.

So what persuaded him to give up the calm of the farm for the hurly burly of Asian infrastructure financing? "I found that in the couple of years I had off, I just missed working. Its as simple as that," he says. "I also think the region is starting to move back to more prosperous times so my timing could be just right."