Contacts:
Matthew Bersani (+ 852 2978 8096)
Jolene Overbeck (+ 212 848 7544)
Lisa Conte (+ 212 848 7857)

Shearman & Sterling has named Matthew Bersani to be Asia Managing Partner. In this position, Bersani will oversee the operation of the firm’s four Asian offices in Beijing, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Singapore. The post was previously held by Whitney Pidot, who has retired from the firm to become Of Counsel to Shearman and Chairman of Goelet, LLC.

Bersani, who has been based in Hong Kong since 1995, will continue to service his clients as co-head of the firm’s Capital Markets Group for Asia and Europe. Bersani specializes in corporate finance and securities transactions including privatizations, public offerings and Rule 144A/Regulation S offerings. Some of his recent capital markets transactions include the initial public offerings of China Telecom, PetroChina and Pingan Insurance and a series of debt offerings for Hutchison Whampoa. Bersani joined the firm in 1994 and became a partner in 1997. He received his undergraduate degree from Princeton in 1982 and his juris doctorate from Columbia University in 1988.