Duane Morris & Selvam LLP Enters Alliance with Sri Lankan Firm Gowers International

SINGAPORE and COLOMBO, SRI LANKA, September 10, 2014—Duane Morris & Selvam LLP, the joint venture between Duane Morris LLP and Singapore-based Selvam LLC, has entered into an alliance with Sri Lanka-based law firm Gowers International Legal Consultants & Corporate Lawyers. The agreement formalizes and strengthens an existing networking relationship between the two law firms, and offers clients of both firms expanded geographic reach and practice strength in cross-border matters. It is believed the alliance is the first in Sri Lanka by a U.S.-based firm.

Gowers International is a 25-lawyer full-service law firm based in Colombo, Sri Lanka's largest city and economic capital. The firm assists foreign and domestic clients operating in numerous industries, including construction, real estate, banking and finance, aviation, shipping, insurance and sports ventures. Duane Morris & Selvam and Gowers have collaborated regularly to provide clients with legal counsel in matters across Asia, particularly in the area of international corporate transactions.

In recent years, Sri Lanka's economic growth has accelerated significantly, fueled by ambitious government programs and reforms. The country's leadership and its 21 million people have pursued large-scale reconstruction and development projects, cultivated small and medium-sized businesses, and increased industrial, agricultural and service sector productivity. In addition, the government has enacted several targeted laws and policies aimed at improving the international investment climate. The state-run Board of Investment oversees all foreign direct investment, facilitating new projects and offering incentives to potential investors. As a result, in 2013, Sri Lanka's GDP expanded by 7.3 percent, one of the fastest-growing in the world. Between 2009 and 2013, the country's GDP per capita grew by 59 percent. It also received more than $1.4 billion in foreign direct investment, with more than one-third flowing from China and Hong Kong.

"With such impressive growth in Sri Lanka during the past five years, we have felt significant demand for dedicated and experienced counsel in Colombo. In partnering with Gowers International, we are pleased to immediately offer the legal resources to invest and thrive there," said Krishna Ramachandra, managing director of Duane Morris & Selvam and a Sri Lankan native who has lived in Singapore since the 1970s. "Likewise, our team in Singapore and across Asia is well-situated to advise Sri Lankan businesses in a wide range of complex matters. We look forward to forging a closer relationship."

"Duane Morris & Selvam and Duane Morris have established impressive reputations, and we are pleased and honored to partner with their team, both to assist potential and existing investors and to fulfill our local and foreign clients' international needs," said Kuvera de Zoysa, managing partner of Gowers International. "We can now offer considerable cross-border practice strengths in areas central to Sri Lanka's current and future economic development, including project finance, mergers and acquisitions, international banking, international commercial arbitration and maritime law. My colleagues and I stand ready to assist Duane Morris & Selvam and Duane Morris clients in pursuing new opportunities and protecting their existing interests here in Sri Lanka."

"Gowers International is a rising star in the Sri Lankan legal industry, and we are pleased to work with them in a more formal capacity," said John Soroko, Chairman of Duane Morris. "With this alliance, our clients now enjoy access to a highly experienced and well-regarded Gowers team on the ground in this promising market."

About Duane Morris LLP

Duane Morris LLP, a law firm with more than 700 attorneys in offices across the United States and internationally, is asked by a broad array of clients to provide innovative solutions to today's legal and business challenges.

About Duane Morris & Selvam LLP

Duane Morris & Selvam LLP is the joint law venture between Duane Morris LLP and Selvam LLC, with its headquarters in Singapore. By way of its global platform and extensive range of legal services, the firm helps companies conduct business in and out of Asia, the United States, Latin America, the United Kingdom and beyond. In addition to the excellent skills of its lawyers, clients benefit from the cultural fluency and key relationships that the firm has developed over many years of practising law throughout the region. The firms have a presence in the key markets of Southeast Asia, including Singapore, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Yangon, as well as in Shanghai. Supporting its regional offices, the firm operates a series of country desks for all key markets in Asia, including India, Cambodia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Korea, Japan, Thailand and Malaysia. It is regularly ranked among Singapore's leading law firms by Chambers & Partners, The Legal 500 and IFLR1000.