The global consulting firm for the alternative investment
industry, Laven Partners, has founded Laven Partners (Asia) as an in
incorporation in Singapore.
The move is the latest from the firm, which is working to further its growth in
Asia.

Prior to the incorporation, Laven has been operating in Singapore
through a two-staff branch of its London-based office. With the move, Laven has
expanded its local team of consultants to seven staff members in order to “cater
for an increased demand for regulatory compliance services in Singapore and the rest of Asia”,
the firm said.

According to Laven’s CEO Jérôme Lussan, the demands for
third-party audits are becoming a growing trend as US investors are eager to
ensure that their Singaporean investments adhere to Monetary Authority for
Singapore (MAS) regulation.

Running the new incorporation is Sophie Benalioua, who has
been the regional representative for Laven since March 2012. “Our expansion is in sync with the long-term aims of the
city-state to adapt to the changing regulatory environment to make Singapore a
domiciliation of choice for ‘best of class’ members of the international fund
management industry,” she said.

The new office in Singapore’s Prudential Towers will offer compliance
services such as MAS authorisation, regulatory compliance including internal
audits and anti-money laundering training; Cayman, British Virgin Islands and Luxembourg fund
formation; and due diligence on hedge and private equity funds.

In related news, Laven recently expanded their New York office with a
senior hire. Similar to the Asian-expansion, the firm launched its New York office in October 2011 following increased
interest from US-based managers expanding their operations to Europe,
and European clients concerned with US regulations.

With these recent moves, the firm now has offices in London, Luxembourg,
Geneva, New York,
Singapore and Barbados.