[February 18, 2015]

Kobre & Kim Strengthens Asia Investigation Team: Adds Another Former U.S. Gov't Attorney to Hong Kong Office

International litigation boutique Kobre & Kim has bolstered its Asia Government Enforcement and Investigations team with the appointment of Vasu B. Muthyala.

Muthyala brings to the team a breadth of experience advising multinational corporations and financial institutions, as well as corporate executives and government officials on global investigations involving securities/commodity futures violations, regulatory compliance, money laundering, and FCPA allegations, among others. He is particularly focused on Asia-related matters, and was recently recognized as a top lawyer by the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association and Global Investigations Review.

"This transition is a milestone in my career," said Muthyala. "Kobre & Kim has an impressive team and award-winning practice in Asia. I'm proud to be part of it and excited about the opportunities to further enhance our global capabilities in the white-collar criminal defense and investigation arena."

"Vasu brings to the team deep insight into various U.S. regulators, including the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Commodities Future Trading Commission, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and the U.S. Department of Energy," said William F. McGovern, a partner in the Hong Kong office of Kobre & Kim and himself a former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement lawyer. "We look forward to integraing his knowledge and skills into our aggressive defense strategies for Asia-based clients."

During his tenure with the U.S. Department of Justice, Muthyala served as a senior prosecutor in the Fraud and Public Corruption section of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington DC and a member of the Securities and Commodities Fraud Working Group of the President's Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. He is also a three-time recipient of the U.S. Department of Justice Special Achievement Award. Earlier in his career, Muthyala served as an enforcement attorney at the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission.

Steven G. Kobre, co-founder of Kobre & Kim, said: "At a time when enforcement efforts by U.S. regulators in Asian jurisdictions are on the rise, Vasu is an invaluable addition to our team, bolstering our services to Asia-based corporations and individuals who are responding to U.S. Government inquiries. He will also further reinforce the firm's capabilities to represent international clients in cross-border enforcement actions and simultaneous investigations in multiple jurisdictions."

Vasu joins Kobre & Kim from O'Melveny & Myers LLP.

About Kobre & Kim:

Kobre & Kim is a conflict-free international law firm focused exclusively on litigation and investigations. Operating out of offices in New York, London, Hong Kong, Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands, Miami, San Francisco and Washington DC, it is the premier firm for international disputes providing clients with an integrated legal strategy across multiple jurisdictions. The firm has a diverse group of professionals with local market knowledge and native speaking skills in Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Japanese, and English, among other languages.

The firm has extensive experience representing Asia-based clients in cross-border investigations and government enforcement actions. The firm is consistently recognized by major industry publications including The Legal 500 which ranks Kobre & Kim a tier-1 firm in Hong Kong for "Regulatory: Anti-Corruption and Compliance", and Chambers & Partners which recognizes the team as "a highly skilled, highly experienced and nimble group" with "an incredibly strong reputation in trial defense", as well as Main Justice which named the Kobre & Kim "Trial Firm of the Year" for its precedent-setting defensive strategies against the U.S. Government at trial.

For more information visit: www.kobrekim.com.hk

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