Withers has recently welcomed Paul Jebely (pictured) as a senior partner and Pervaze Ahmed as partner.
Paul is based the Hong Kong office and will head its newly-launched global asset finance practice. Paul joins the firm from Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, where he was managing partner of the Hong Kong office and co-chair of the firm's private wealth and asset finance practices.
Paul primarily represents ultra-high-net-worth individuals and their business enterprises around the world. His clients presently include many notable individuals listed in the Forbes Rich List as well as major corporations, both listed and privately held.
Among a lengthy list of professional awards, Paul was named by Chambers & Partners as the top private aircraft and yachts aviation attorney globally in 2018 (and has been recognised by the prestigious publication as the top private aviation attorney in Asia since 2016), and ALM Media also named him the winner for Private Client Lawyer of the Year for Asia in 2020.
His expertise in aviation has been quoted by the Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, Forbes and many other international publications. He has chaired and spoken at dozens of international conferences. Paul is qualified to practice law in England & Wales, the United States (New York and Washington State) and Canada (Ontario).
Speaking of his appointment, Paul said: 'I am in our office getting to work on building the leading private asset finance practice in the world, and one of the leading asset finance practices in the world, with the extraordinary people of Withers and for the extraordinary people and companies we work on behalf of. Planes, boats and automobiles have been passions of mine since I was a child, and now counselling successful individuals and companies on how best to invest in, sell, finance, lease, charter, and operate them is my privilege.'
Jeremy Wakeham, CEO of Withers' business division, commented: 'There's no doubt that Paul, and the team of current and new Withers lawyers and staff that we will bring together around him, will be the market leaders in the private asset finance space, namely involving aircraft and yachts, and will significantly enhance the profile of our existing work involving such assets.'
Withers has also added partner Pervaze Ahmed to its residential property team. Pervaze joins the firm from Howard Kennedy, where he was the Head of Residential Property.
Pervaze specialises in advising on the sale and purchase of high value properties in the London market. He works with a broad range of clients and has an extensive network amongst property agents and banks. Pervaze will join residential property partners Henry Stuart and Nicholas Vaughan in London, as well as working closely with tax and estate planning partner Hannah Wailoo.
Commenting on his new role, Pervaze said: 'I'm thrilled to be joining Withers, having worked alongside many members of the team over the years. I have always been struck by their dedication to the highest level of client service, and this commitment to excellence is something I share very strongly. Despite the challenges of the past two years, prime central London property remains a valuable and sought-after asset, and I fully expect to see the market bounce back to high levels of activity.'
Jay Dinwoodie, CEO of Withers' Private Client & Tax division, added: 'Pervaze has a reputation throughout the London property market for being a problem solver who is absolutely focused on getting the very best result for his clients. We're delighted to welcome him to the firm and to be able to add another strong partner to the private property team.'
