The Legal 500 - Asia Pacific (2020)

Antitrust and Competition - Tier 1
Banking and Finance - Tier 2
Capital Markets: Equity and Debt - Tier 2
Capital Markets: Structured Finance, Derivatives and Securitisation - Tier 1
Construction - Tier 1
Corporate and M&A - Tier 2
Dispute Resolution - Tier 1
Financial Services Regulatory - Tier 1
Insurance - Tier 1
Intellectual Property - Tier 1
International Arbitration - Tier 2
Investment Funds - Tier 1
Labour and Employment - Tier 1
Private Wealth - Tier 1
Projects and Energy - Tier 1
Real Estate - Tier 2
Restructuring and Insolvency - Tier 1
Shipping - Tier 1
Tax - Tier 2
TMT - Tier 1

Leading Lawyers:
Andre Yeap SC - International Arbitration
Angela Lim - Banking and Finance
Arnold Tan - Investment Funds
Chia Kim Huat - Capital Markets
Desmond Wee - Labour and Employment
Elaine Tay - Insurance
Murali Pillai SC - Labour and Employment
Kala Anandarajah - Antitrust and Competition
Lau Kok Keng - Intellectual Property
Lee Eng Beng SC - Restructuring and Insolvency
Leong Kah Wah - Shipping
Norman Ho - Real Estate
Patrick Ang - Restructuring and Insolvency
Rajesh Sreenivasan - TMT
Regina Liew - Capital Markets: Structured Finance, Derivatives and Securitisation
Sandy Foo - Corporate and M&A
Shemane Chan - Construction, Projects and Energy
Simon Goh - Insurance
Steve Tan - TMT
Toh Kian Sing SC - Shipping
Vikna Rajah - Private Wealth, Tax

Antitrust and Competition
Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP is active across the full spectrum of competition merger clearances, including in an increasing number of multi-jurisdictional merger control reviews. Its team supports clients in investigations, and leniency and abuse of dominance matters. Kala Anandarajah leads 'a very capable team', which includes Tanya Tang.

Capital Markets: Structured Finance, Derivatives and Securitisation
Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP is an established player in derivatives and structured products, including listed and unlisted derivatives, and both exchange-traded derivatives and OTC derivatives. The team is well-entrenched into the regulatory field and has an impressive record in representing banks and financial institutions, corporates, clearing houses and exchanges. Regina Liew leads the financial institutions group and has extensive derivatives experience.

Construction
Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP is noted for its 'solid ability to handle the largest construction projects in the region', such as assisting with the $3.5bn One Bangkok mixed-development project and advising Facebook on its S$1.4bn investment to construct its first Asian data centre in Singapore. The team of 'highly experienced lawyers' is able to advise on early-stage project feasibility, procurement, project financing and dispute resolution. Soh Lip San leads the group, which also includes transactional partners Sim Chee Siong and Shemane Chan, who have significant experience in running projects in Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Ng Kim Beng specialises in disputes arising in engineering and construction; power; oil & gas; and telecoms infrastructure development. Shannon Tan Yu Inn left the practice.

Dispute Resolution
Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP continues to impress in banking, insolvency and restucturing and shipping cases, shareholder disputes, white-collar crime and arbitration-related court proceedings. It has appeared as counsel in an unrivalled number of SICC cases, consistently appearing in more Singapore Supreme Court hearings than any other firm, and is also at the forefront of en bloc sale disputes. Lee Eng Beng SC remains a leader in banking and insolvency disputes, Francis Xavier SC is a leader in cross-border litigation and arbitration-related court proceedings, Andre Yeap SC is a top litigator and arbitration counsel, and Chuan Thye Tan SC is also noted for insolvency litigation. Adrian Wong and Danny Ong are also highly rated.

Financial Services Regulatory
Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP has 'a good level of experience and broad knowledge' in the area of financial services, derivatives and structured products. Key clients include regulators, global banks, brokers, funds, insurers and fintech businesses. Fintech specialist Regina Liew also assists with licensing and regulatory clearances and regulator enforcement actions. Larry Lim also advises on a wide range of fintech-related matters, including the launch of cryptocurrencies and a wide range of issues covering banking, securities, derivatives, commodities and payment systems.

Insurance
Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP has great bench strength in the insurance advisory and disputes space, with specialist knowledge in insurtech and fintech. It also handles employment and insurance intermediary issues and has notable expertise in the insurance regulatory space. Simon Goh's practice spans contentious and non-contentious insurance and reinsurance; he is particularly noted for his expertise in restructuring, acquisitions of insurance companies and the sale and transfer of (re)insurance businesses. Elaine Tay advises insurers and brokers on licensing, restructuring, transfers and compliance issues. She is also an experienced advocate for insurers and clients in the energy and construction sectors.

Intellectual Property
Offering 'real industry expertise' in sports, gaming, energy, technology and retail, Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP is 'the first amongst its peers', according to one client. Specialising in non-contentious and litigation work in the sports, media and gaming industries, Lau Kok Keng is 'one of the most reputable IP lawyers in Singapore'; he acted for FIFA on its brand protection campaign for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia and advised the Singapore National Olympic Council on a sponsorship agreement with Borneo Motors Singapore. Nicholas Lauw has 'strong technical knowledge' and is frequently involved at the cutting edge of IP-related issues such as infringement relating to Google ad-words, judicial site blocking, eMoney regulations and patent infringement relating to solar energy generation.

Investment Funds
Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP fields 'one of the most highly regarded fund formation teams in Singapore', with additional 'strength in depth' in the formation, strategy and execution of funds for major hedge, private equity and and alternative investment funds. Department head Arnold Tan is 'the leading counsel in fund formation' according to one client; he has longstanding expertise in the establishment of onshore and offshore investment funds, regulatory matters and securities laws. Anne Yeo 'always keeps one step ahead of regulatory changes' and 'has the experience to provide advice on innovative and bespoke fund structures'. Other names to note are Jasmine Chew for hedge funds and hybrid funds, and Philip Yeo for private equity, venture capital and real estate funds.

Labour and Employment
The employment practice at Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP 'has the resources and the experience to handle any size project', and acts for major international corporations and senior executives on all aspects of employment law and related issues. Key areas of activity include restructuring and retrenchment exercises, advising on the employment aspects of major transactions, advocacy in litigation and handling complaints, misconduct and investigations. Desmond Wee specialises in non-contentious employment, and is noted for his expertise in trade union matters, retrenchments and termination of employment exercises and structuring employment terms. Murali Pillai SC acts for employers in contentious matters, including enforcement of post-termination restrictive covenants, banking secrecy and preserving confidentiality. Jonathan Yuen has a strong record defending corporate clients in disputes involving wrongful termination, whistle-blower claims, work-place discrimination, constructive-dismissal and other related issues.

Private Wealth
The team at Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP provides 'clear and concise' advice and is praised for its 'very good insight into the local tax authority's way of thinking' and 'excellent communication skills'. The practice counts high-net-worth families, private banks, trust companies, institutional fiduciary services, family offices and non-profit organisations among its clients, and is best known for its strengths in trust structuring, business succession and estate wealth planning. Lead partner Vikna Rajah is 'a superb adviser with great insight and understanding of the local laws and the local tax authorities'.

Projects and Energy
Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP mixes both contentious and non-contentious expertise in the projects and energy sphere, and combines this with an impressive geographic reach beyond Singapore. The team covers a range of energy, infrastructure and real estate projects and is also noted for its project financing expertise. Shemane Chan, Soh Lip San and Larry Lim are key members of the team.

Restructuring and Insolvency
Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP acts for lenders and creditors, secured and unsecured, debtors, liquidators, judicial managers and receivers on the most significant insolvencies and restructurings deals. The practice has a strong track record in disputes, corporate insolvencies and rescues, workouts and debt restructurings, and the enforcement of creditors’ rights. Patrick Ang is 'very commercial and solution driven' with 'good connectivity to major local and international banks'. Danny Ong and Lee Eng Beng, SC are also of note. Sim Kwan Kiat chairs the practice.

Shipping
Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP has 'excellent breadth of expertise' in corporate shipping and finance, advising local and international ship financing banks, on bilateral and syndicated shipping loans. The sizeable team is also involved in major shipping insolvencies, ship arrests, charterparties and cargo claims and maritime casualties. Key figures include Toh Kian Sing, SC, who chairs the shipping and international trade practice, and Chua Choon King and Winston Kwek, who are key names for ship finance. Leong Kah Wah and Jainil Bhandari have extensive courtroom experience as counsel in maritime and trade arbitrations.

TMT
Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP is the 'go to' practice for major corporate clients across various industries, including healthcare, e-commerce and insurance, as well as for regulators. Core areas of activity include big-ticket technology M&A transactions, telecoms infrastructure and regulatory issues, fintech, data protection and cybersecurity. Rajesh Sreenivasan heads the practice, which also includes Steve Tan, who is highlighted for his 'great depth of knowledge in Personal Data Protection Act matters', Tanya Tang and Benjamin Cheong.

Banking and Finance
Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP is at the forefront of cross-border financings, including a significant portion of transactions under English law; the banking and finance team has a number of English- and foreign-qualified lawyers. It remains active in real estate and REIT financings, has a fine standing in financial services regulatory matters, is a growing presence in fintech, and is further developing its client base of local, regional and international banks. The highly rated Angela Lim continues to draw accolades, while Regina Liew is noted for financial services regulatory and fintech. Terence Choo and Nicholas How are also highly rated.

Capital Markets: Equity and Debt
Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP has a substantial capital markets team that has achieved deep penetration of the ECM and DCM segments. It has a significant market share of Singapore listings and Hong Kong IPOs by Singapore issuers. Moreover, it has advised on recent Nasdaq offerings and the first catastrophe bond in the market. Chia Kim Huat leads the corporate and transactional group and is an experienced capital markets practitioner. Evelyn Wee leads the capital markets team, while Danny Lim and Lee Xin Mei are also noteworthy practitioners. Eugene Lee has joined from Prolegis LLC to reinforce the firm's regional practice and standing in high-yield debt.

Corporate and M&A
Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP has maintained a steady pipeline of M&A deals, including a marked increase in take privates and has made an impression in REIT mergers. Its strong regional presence has led to an impressive number of deals involving Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia especially. The firm is also active in deals involving Singapore businesses investing in Europe, Africa and Latin America. Key sectors include insurance, healthcare, banking and real estate. Chia Kim Huat leads the corporate and transactional group, which includes Abdul Jabbar Bin Karam Din, Evelyn Wee, Lawrence Tan, Lim Wee Hann and the highly rated Sandy Foo, who is recognised for handling big-ticket transactions.

International Arbitration
Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP has demonstrated a high level of commitment to international arbitration and is a recognised leader in insolvency and shipping cases. It is also making an impression in investor-state arbitrations and commercial disputes with a regional dimension. Head of international arbitration Andre Yeap SC and Francis Xavier SC are two respected Senior Counsels in this sector. Ng Kim Beng is noted for infrastructure disputes.

Real Estate
Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP has a strong offering for real estate acquisitions and disposals of commercial and residential properties through share sale arrangement and mergers. The team also advises on large-scale development and redevelopment, as well as associated financing. Norman Ho regularly advises major local and foreign property developers, investment funds, financial institutions and purchasers on the acquisition, sale-and-leaseback and financing of commercial buildings, retail centres and residential projects. Elsa Chai, Benjamin Tay and Gazalle Mok are the other names to note for mortgage loans (conventional and Islamic financings), REIT transactions and conveyancing, respectively.

Tax
Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP is a leader in acting for multinational corporates in cases against the IRAS. It also has a fine standing in broader tax disputes and is a growing presence in tax advisory and transactional matters, including a series of landmark capital markets offerings. Much credit goes to notable tax disputes specialist Vikna Rajah. Peter Tan has joined from Baker McKenzie Wong & Leow to reinforce the transactional and advisory side.