The Legal 500 - Asia Pacific (2015)
Banking and finance - Tier 2
Capital markets -Tier 2
Corporate and M&A - Tier 2
Dispute Resolution - Tier 1
Employment - Tier 1
Intellectual property - Tier 2
International arbitration - Tier 2
Projects and energy - Tier 1
Real estate and construction - Tier 1
Restructuring and insolvency: Local firms - Tier 1
Shipping - Tier 1
Tax - Tier 2
TMT - Tier 1
Leading Lawyers:
Choo Hock Soon - Banking and finance
Kim Huat Chia - Capital markets
Francis Xavier SC - Dispute Resolution, International arbitration
Andre Yeap SC - Dispute Resolution, International arbitration
Patrick Ang - Restructuring and insolvency
Eng Beng Lee SC - Restructuring and insolvency
Winston Kwek - Shipping
Kian Sing Toh SC - Shipping
Kok Keng Lau - Intellectual property, TMT
Andrew CL Ong - TMT
Rajesh Sreenivasan - TMT
Banking and finance
Angela Lim heads the regionally focused team at Rajah & Tann LLP; Benjamin Tay joined from White & Case Pte. Ltd., bringing cross-border expertise. Work highlights included Terence Choo’s advice to the lead arrangers and original lenders on the refinancing of Senoko Energy.
Capital markets
Key names at Rajah & Tann LLP include practice head Evelyn Wee, whose M&A and capital markets expertise make them a popular choice on fund raisings for acquisitions; and Kim Huat Chia, who has experience in PRC-related transactions. The firm’s specialist derivatives team includes David Yeow.
Corporate and M&A
Rajah & Tann LLP’s office network in South East Asia is beneficial for cross-border M&A work, and the firm runs Japan and India desks from the Singapore office. Highlights included representing Gallant Venture on the S$1.6bn takeover of PT Indomobil Sukses Internasional, advice led by Cheng Yoke Ping. Abdul Jabbar Bin Karam Din and Lim Wee Hann are key figures in the private M&A team.
Dispute Resolution
‘One of the leading firms in the market’, Rajah & Tann LLP receives plaudits for its ‘approachability and openness in communication’. The sizeable team is able to handle a high volume of cases, and recent litigation spans defamation, trust, fraud and conspiracy, with many claims far exceeding the US$100m mark. Lee Eng Beng SC is ‘an outstanding lawyer in any commercial field’; Murali Pillai is ‘a titan in the courtroom’; Danny Ong is ‘extremely client friendly and responsive’.
Employment
‘Excellent on all counts’, Rajah & Tann LLP has recently been active in cross-border employment matters. The practice is jointly led by Francis Xavier SC and Desmond Wee. The latter is advising a Washington DC-headquartered IT company on a restructuring matter relating to employees in Singapore, India, Indonesia and Japan.
Intellectual property
At Rajah & Tann LLP, department head Kok Keng Lau is recommended for copyright matters. He focuses on IP, sports, gambling and technology, and was recently appointed as counsel in a high-profile multi-million dollar dispute. A recent highlight was defending Daiso Industries against a trade mark infringement claim by Seiko Epson.
International arbitration
Rajah & Tann LLP’s regional office network is of particular benefit in international arbitration, where lawyers in Singapore work in collaboration with colleagues across South East Asia. Another distinguishing factor is its team of dedicated arbitration lawyers; Andre Yeap SC leads the specialist practice, which includes recommended partner Ng Kim Beng.
Projects and energy
The ‘professional’ team at Rajah & Tann LLP was strengthened... Other key names include Soh Lip San, who has 18 years’ experience in the construction and projects space, and the highly recommended Shemane Chan, who recently advised the State Government of Penang on the preliminary agreement for an undersea tunnel.
Real estate and construction
Rajah & Tann LLP’s ‘professional’ real estate and construction lawyers provide ‘good legal advice and industrial knowledge’. The ‘professional, sharp and pleasant’ Shemane Chan is currently advising an international contractor on two power plant projects in Timor Leste. Construction head Andre Yeap SC is experienced in building and infrastructure disputes. Lina Chua joined the firm.
Restructuring and insolvency
With over 30 specialist restructuring and insolvency fee-earners, Rajah & Tann LLP maintains an enviable position in the local market; cross-border matters are a particular strength. The practice is acting for the liquidators of various Lehman Brothers entities across Asia, and advising Berlian Laju’s bondholders in relation to the company’s restructuring in Indonesia. Kwan Kiat Sim heads the team, and Danny Ong is recommended.
Shipping
Rajah & Tann LLP is ‘a go-to firm for an all-round excellent service’ and provides ‘concise advice’. Led by Kian Sing Toh SC, the firm handles the full breadth of contentious and non-contentious matters, and recently acted for Pacific International Lines in striking out a claim brought by over 100 cargo interests and their insurers. Kah Wah Leong is ‘exceptionally attuned to client needs’.
Tax
….. team advises on tax disputes, private client matters and tax-efficient Singapore-based holding structures. The practice also acts on major cross-border transactions in close collaboration with the firm’s M&A and banking and finance departments.
TMT
In 2013, data protection matters were prominent for Rajah & Tann LLP. The practice is currently advising the Bangladeshi government’s election commission regarding the issuance of ID cards to 87m citizens, and assisting Chartis Singapore Insurance on compliance with the Personal Data Protection Act. Rajesh Sreenivasan heads the six-partner team.