Press Release
U.S. Ambassadors to Singapore and Vietnam to Participate in Formal Opening of Duane Morris' Asian Offices
HANOI, HO CHI MINH CITY, January 9, 2008 - Duane Morris LLP is pleased to announce that it will formally open its two Vietnam offices in separate ceremonies; in Hanoi on January 14, and in Ho Chi Minh City on January 16. The firm will welcome honored guests to these events. U.S. Ambassador to Singapore Patricia L. Herbold and U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Michael W. Michalak will participate in a ribbon-cutting ceremony and tour the firm's offices.
"The ambassadors' participation and support of Duane Morris' official opening in Vietnam is a significant act on the part of both embassies," said Eduardo Ramos-Gómez, managing partner of Duane Morris' offices in Asia and former Mexican Ambassador to Singapore. "We are delighted to act as their host and are deeply honored by their presence on an auspicious day for the firm in Asia."
H.E. Ambassador Patricia Herbold serves as the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Singapore. Sworn into the position on November 7, 2005, she has built a distinguished and varied career in both the public and private sectors. Herbold began her career as an analytical chemist for the Federal Water Pollution Control Administration in Cincinnati. A native of Ohio, she served as a city council member and then as mayor of Montgomery, Ohio, in the 1980s. In the private sector, she served as in-house legal counsel for a major bank and the real estate investment office of a major insurance company. Prior to her ambassadorship, she served as a commissioner on the Washington State Gambling Commission and as chairman of the King County Republican Party in Washington.
H.E. Ambassador Michael Michalak currently serves as the U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam. Sworn in on August 10, 2007, and based in the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi, he has worked for more than 30 years in the U.S. Department of State. Prior to his appointment, he served as the U.S. Senior Official in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, and as the Deputy Chief of Mission for the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo.
The Duane Morris offices in Vietnam have been in operation since July 2007, and include attorneys working in a wide range of practice areas, including mergers and acquisitions, project finance, energy, telecommunications, banking and construction matters. Ramos-Gómez as well as office founding partners Oliver Massmann and Christopher Muessel and special counsel Giles Cooper, as well as other Duane Morris practitioners will attend the events.
About Duane Morris
Duane Morris LLP, one of the 100 largest law firms in the world, is a full-service firm of more than 600 lawyers. In addition to legal services, Duane Morris has independent affiliates employing approximately 100 professionals engaged in other disciplines. With offices in major markets in the United States and internationally, Duane Morris represents clients across the U.S. and around the world.
